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A retrograde urethrogram is a procedure to evaluate the appearance and integrity of your urethra. The urethra is the pathway between your urinary bladder and the location where urine exits from the tip of the penis.
How do I prepare?
You should inform your referring physician and the radiologist who will be performing the procedure of any allergies that you have, particularly to iodinated contrast material. Just prior to the procedure, you should empty your bladder. You will be asked to change into a hospital gown.
What can I expect during the procedure?
A radiologist and a technologist will perform the exam together. A preliminary image or X-ray will be obtained of your lower abdomen. After review of the image, the doctor will wash your genital area with an antiseptic. A small catheter will be inserted into the tip of the penis and then a small balloon on the catheter tip will be inflated to help keep the catheter in place. An X-ray
dye will then be injected through the catheter to outline your urethra and X-ray images will be obtained. After the radiologist reviews the images, a report will be sent to your referring physician who will discuss the results with you.
What can I expect after the procedure?
You can resume normal activity immediately after the procedure. You may feel some slight irritation in your urethra particularly when urinating, but this is not uncommon or abnormal. You may see a small amount of blood in your urine or at the tip of your penis for a day or two and this is not abnormal either. If the small amount of bleeding is related to the X-ray procedure, it will resolve in
a day or two. If bleeding continues, you should call your referring physician.
