Risk of waiting for RNC Cystogram

[RobandJen]

Our daughter had Grade II Kidney Reflux from age 12 months until 4.  That is when we were told the KR resolved after her fourth VCUG.  She is now 7 years old and continues to have UTI's.  I have lost count at 6 in the last 9 months.  She popped positive again this morning.  We were referred to a urologist, who ordered a Cystogram and renal ultrasound.  Radiology said we had to wait two and a half months for an appointment.  Our pediatrician was unsucessful at getting it sooner and our urologist never returned our call.  My question is, what risk is there that she is scarring her kidneys with these constant UTI's?  Is it really no big deal to wait an entire two months to get this test or should we start looking out of the County at other Children's Hospitals??

Thanks for the feedback.

[missv9]

As I am glad to read that your daughter is doing well, SuziB, some of us are not so lucky.

I was in the exact same situation as your daughter, had the surgery at 3 years old, and I'm now 20 years old, STILL suffering from UTIs (only about 2-3 a year though, but still having them nonetheless) and I'm required to see a urologist every 3-6 months depending on how the last visit went. I have ultrasounds done every vist as well as tests to check how well I'm emptying. Every 6-12 months I have more routine tests, and now they're monitoring my small case of hydronephrosis in my left kidney to ensure it doesn't get worse.

So what I'm saying, RobandJen, is that it's going to vary from case to case. "Be prepared for the worst, but hope for the best" is what my mom always told me growing up to make sure I was strong enough to get through whatever might be thrown my way.

While on this topic, I posted earlier about some concerns I'm having with my situation. If any doctors reply to this, can someone give me some info on what/if any complications I might have in bearing a child later on in life? Will it put too much pressure on my kidneys, tubes/stints, etc.?

[SuziB]

My daughter had bilateral grade 4 reflux in duplex kidneys which was treated with ureteral re-implantation age 3. She is 9 now and is well. Her urologist told me that after age 6 they are much less likely to get scarring with infections, so two months wait, while not ideal, is probably ok. I feel for you being in the position of having to wait so long as it is a very worrying time for you. You want to know for sure what the problem is right now, not in two months!
In light of all these infections, is your daughter on prophylactic antibiotics at the moment? We found that our daughter did become resistant to prophylactic antibiotics but we got over that by alternating two different antibiotics on a monthly basis until her operation. I'm not sure what current thinking is about prophylactic antibiotics-whether they help reduce infections or not, but it is worth finding out about. Because my daughters condition wasn't likely to improve with age we decided to go with the re-implantation and I don't regret it for a minute. In fact, I wish we had got it done sooner as she was having infections from about two years old. Her quality of life improved so much after the op. No more infections and some peace of mind. Good luck with your daughter.