Ce-VUS
Specialty
Ce-VUS stands for contrast-enhanced voiding urosonography. This is an exam that uses ultrasound technology to take real-time images of the urinary system. It shows how well the bladder and its connecting tubes (the urethra and the ureters) are working.
This exam requires ultrasound imaging, inserting a catheter (thin tube) into your child’s urethra and filling their bladder with contrast (a type of liquid).
We will be using ultrasound technology to scan your child’s bladder, kidneys, and the connecting tubes during the entire exam.
We encourage you to bring any type of comfort item to the exam. This can include your child’s favorite stuffed animal or toy.
Certified Child Life Specialists
We understand that this exam can be scary for some children. A Certified Child Life Specialist can help support your child during this exam. A child life specialist is a trained professional who helps children and their families understand and normalize the hospital environment. These professionals offer positive coping strategies, developmentally appropriate language, and safe exploration of medical equipment to help your child gain a sense of control before and during the exam.
Lurie Children’s offers child life specialists for this exam at the Main Hospital and at the Westchester Outpatient Center.
If you have concerns about your child’s coping during this exam, feel that your child would benefit from preparation and/or support from a child life specialist– please contact one of the following child life specialists below.
- If you are scheduled at Lurie Children’s Main Hospital contact Aleksandra (Ola) Guzy M.Ed., CCLS at 312.227.6397 or aguzy@luriechildrens.org
- Note: If you are scheduled on a Tuesday, a child life specialist is part of the care team and will be present. If you are scheduled on another day but would still like support, please reach out before your appointment.
- If you are scheduled at the Westchester Outpatient Center contact Lori Esch, MS, CCLS at 312.227.7925 or lesch@luriechildrens.org
Before the Exam
Before you and your child come to the hospital for their exam:
- Review this caregiver guide to learn more about the exam and the way you can support your child.
- Take time to talk with your child and explain the test using simple language. The preparation books below serve as a good guide.
- Reassure your child that they will be safe, that you will be with them the whole time, and that this exam is to help the doctors learn how to help their body feel better.
If you would like more information please view our general instructions on how to prepare for your child's medical imaging exam.
Day of the Exam
The day of the exam your child can eat, drink, and use the bathroom as normal.
When you’re at the hospital, a member of the healthcare team will greet you and your child in the waiting room. Two parents or caregivers can be in the exam room with their child and stay in the room during the entire exam.
During the Exam
We will give your child a gown to change into for the exam and ask them to try to go to the bathroom before we start the exam. Before we start the exam, we will dim the lights in the room. This is to help the sonographer (the member of the healthcare team who is an expert in using the ultrasound to take pictures) see all the images clearly.
We start the exam by taking an initial ultrasound picture of your child’s abdomen (belly). We will ask your child to lie flat on their back on the exam bed. Once we finish these photos, the sonographer will help your child position their legs for catheter placement. The sonographer will then clean your child’s genital area with cotton swabs and brown soap. This will feel cold and wet.
The sonographer will then insert a catheter into your child's bladder through their urethra. A catheter is a small, flexible tube that helps the contrast liquid get into their bladder. The urethra connects your bladder to the small opening where urine (pee) comes out. It is important for your child to try to hold as still as they can and take deep breaths to help relax their muscles.
Once the sonographer inserts the catheter and it’s secured with tape, any urine still in your child’s bladder will come out through the tube. When their bladder is empty, the sonographer will fill your child's bladder with a liquid called contrast that will make the picture of their bladder clearer. The contrast is safe and used with the ultrasound to help us see the structures inside your child’s body. While their bladder is being filled, the sonographer will continue taking ultrasound pictures. Your child may feel a light pressure on their abdomen and their sides. The doctor may have your child roll onto both their left and right sides as well. All these different positions help us see their urinary system and if there are any issues.
When their bladder is full of contrast, your child will feel like they have to go to the bathroom. At this point, your child should tell the sonographer that they can no longer hold it. The radiologist (another type of doctor on their healthcare team) will tell your child to go ahead and urinate on the exam bed. This is important so the radiologist can watch your child’s bladder empty and see if anything looks different than what it should look like. There will be towels, a bed pan, or a urinal to catch the liquid. The sonographer will continue taking ultrasound pictures of your child’s bladder and urethra while they are emptying their bladder.
When we are all done taking these pictures, we will remove the catheter.
After the Exam
When the exam is over, the team will help get your child cleaned up and then your child can get dressed to go home. Your child can return to school as soon as they feel ready.
Some kids feel tingling the first few times they use the bathroom after the test. This is normal and will go away soon. Drinking extra fluids and taking a warm bath should help.
After the exam, you child may have different feelings and reactions based on their age. For more information about how to best support your child after this exam click the link below:
- Post-Catheterization: Developmental Follow-Up
- Post-Catheterization: Developmental Follow-Up (Spanish)
After the radiologist reviews the diagnostic study, they will send the results directly to your referring physician. Your referring physician will talk to you about what we learned during the exam and the plan of care at a follow-up appointment.