The necessity of voiding cystourethrogram in the pretransplant urologic evaluation

To determine the efficacy of limited use of voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG) in the evaluation of patients for renal transplantation.

A retrospective review of 439 patients who underwent renal transplantation between October 1983 and May 1995; however, since September 1993 we used VCUG selectively in the pretransplant evaluation.

Since September 1993, only 51% of our renal transplant patients had a VCUG as part of their pretransplant evaluation . Only one urologic complication has occurred in a 68-year-old man with a history of glomerulonephritis. He had an episode of acute urinary retention, which was treated successfully with a temporary suprapubic tube followed by medical therapy.

Our preliminary results reveal no adverse outcomes associated with the selective use of VCUG in the pretransplant evaluation, and indicate that this study is of little value in the routine evaluation of these patients.