Voiding Dysfunction

Voiding dysfunction refers to conditions that affect your ability to urinate normally. UI Health Care urologists specialize in providing advanced, effective treatments to reduce symptoms and provide relief.

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Voiding dysfunction refers to a range of conditions that affect your bladder or urinary function, making it difficult to urinate normally. It can result from a number of underlying conditions and can greatly affect your quality of life if left untreated.

What sets us apart

At University of Iowa Health Care, our experienced urologists help patients find relief for their voiding dysfunction and get back to their normal lives.

Our providers are experts in the most advanced options to diagnose and treat the underlying causes of your voiding dysfunction. They are also actively involved in shaping the future of voiding dysfunction care as leading researchers in the field.

This means that our providers offer every therapeutic treatment option available, from conservative management to advanced surgical interventions—including minimally invasive robotic surgery options. Together, they will work with you to develop a personalized treatment plan that fits your needs and includes the most appropriate and effective treatment for your condition.

We are also home to the most sophisticated urodynamics lab in the state, which provides advanced testing to diagnose the underlying causes of voiding dysfunction. This state-of-the-art technology allows our providers to be more accurate and thorough when providing a diagnosis, helping you get the right treatment right from the start.

Symptoms and causes of voiding dysfunction

Symptoms of voiding dysfunction

Symptoms can vary based on the root cause of your voiding dysfunction. Symptoms may include:

Urinary hesitancy (difficulty starting or maintaining a flow of urine)
Frequent or infrequent urination
Strong, urgent need to urinate immediately
Nocturia (getting up multiple times in the night to urinate)
Feeling like your bladder is never fully empty
Urinary incontinence (leaking urine)
Painful urination
Constipation

Causes of voiding dysfunction

There are many things that can disrupt your urinary system and cause issues with your urine flow. These include:

Blockages in the urinary tract, such as kidney stones
Overactive bladder
Unactive bladder
Urinary tract infections
Constipation
Dysfunctional elimination syndrome (issues with the muscle and nerves of the bladder)

How is voiding dysfunction diagnosed?

You provider will begin by reviewing your medical history, discussing your current symptoms, and completing a physical examination, including a pelvic exam for women or a prostate exam for men.

If you need additional testing, your provider may recommend:

Blood tests

Your provider may want to check for high antigen levels, which can indicate prostate problems.

Urinalysis

Urine tests can check for infections, such as urinary tract infections.

Cystoscopy

For this test, a small camera is inserted into the urethra to let the provider view the inside of the bladder.

Urodynamic testing

These tests measure how much urine your bladder holds and how well the muscles work, helping your provider understand how they work together.

Ultrasound

This imaging test of your bladder or kidneys allows your provider to see how much urine is left in the bladder after you urinate.

Treatments for voiding dysfunction

Treatments for your symptoms vary based on the underlying cause of your voiding dysfunction. Your provider may recommend:

Pelvic floor therapy.
This form of physical therapy can teach you to better control and relax your pelvic flood muscles. This can help you urinate more easily.
Bladder training.
This involves exercises that can help you train your bladder muscles to hold urine for longer periods of time.
Medications.
There are several medications that can help with common symptoms such as overactive bladder, urinary urgency, and urinary leakage.
Botox® injections.
Your provider may recommend botulin toxin (Botox®) injections to help relax your bladder muscles.
Neuromodulation therapy.
This therapy involves stimulating nerves using electrical impulses to help reduce urgency and leakage.
Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS).
This is a small, minimally invasive procedure that stimulates the tibial nerve, a nerve that controls urinary, bladder, and pelvic flood muscles.
Surgery.
For more severe cases, surgery may be necessary to help treat underlying conditions and provide relief.