Posterior urethral valves

Need to know

• Symptoms of posterior urethral valves icon plus

  Symptoms of PUV your child may experience include:

  • an enlarged bladder which you can feel like a lump through the abdomen
  • difficulty urinating
  • uncontrollable bed wetting
  • urinary tract infections
  • poor weight gain

• Diagnosis icon plus

  PUV can be diagnosed in a fetus with an ultrasound scan. Symptoms your child's consultant will look for include swollen bladder, ureters and/or kidneys. A newborn baby may also have a swollen bladder or constant dribbles of urine.

  If diagnosis of PUV comes in later childhood, tests we offer include:

  • Ultrasound of your child's abdomen to assess kidney functionality.
  • Micutrating cystourethrogram (MCUG). This test highlights if urine is passing backwards through the ureters and kidneys (reflux).
  • A cystoscopy where a small tube with a camera examines the inside of your bladder.
  • Blood tests to assess kidneys and fluid inside the body.

• Posterior urethral valves treatment icon plus

  Your child's consultant will discuss their treatment options with you. These are carried out after your child is born.

  • A catheter (thin, plastic tube) is inserted into the bladder to drain excess fluid away.
  • If surgery is required, you child's surgeon will remove the part of the urethral valve that is blocked. This is usually carried out with the help of a cystoscope (small tube with a camera on the end).

  On average, two thirds of boys with PUV will suffer long-term kidney damage and half of those will need a renal transplant. As your son grows into adolescence, it's essential he is monitored for changes in the way his kidneys and bladder work.