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Urology Department Surgery Directorate Longton Urology Centre Level 3 Chorley and South Ribble District General Hospital This is an information leaflet which tells you what will happen when you attend the Urology Diagnostic Clinic at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Urology Diagnostic Clinic Information for patients 1 2 Your GP has assessed you and decided that you need referral to a urology diagnostic clinic. This is so that your symptoms relating to your urinary system can be further investigated. Your GP has asked for you to have an urgent hospital appointment within two weeks. The two week appointment system was introduced so that patients with symptoms which could be caused by a serious problem, possibly even a cancer, will be seen by a specialist as quickly as possible. Why has my GP done this now? GPs can diagnose and treat many problems themselves. However, on occasions they may need to arrange for you to see a specialist. This may be because: • Your GP feels the symptoms you described need further investigation; • The treatment your GP recommended has not been effective; • The results of the investigations your GP arranged appear abnormal. What is a urology diagnostic clinic? This clinic aims to cut down on the number of times you need to attend the hospital and speed up the time it takes to diagnose your condition. What can I expect in the clinic? Depending on your particular symptoms, you will need to undergo a number of tests. We have marked the tests we think it is likely that you will need to undergo. Appointments can last up to six hours depending on the number of tests you need. 3 We have marked whether you are undergoing prostate or haematuria tests. Prostate tests You may need some or all of these tests: Urine You may need to have a further urine test. Please come to clinic with a comfortably full bladder. DRE Is a digital rectal examination. An examination in which a doctor inserts their lubricated, gloved, finger into the rectum to feel for abnormalities. TRUS Biopsy A trans-rectal ultrasound biopsy is a prostate biopsy where small samples of tissue are taken from your prostate gland, using an ultrasound device to help locate it. A local anaesthetic is injected around the prostate to minimise the discomfort during this procedure. We have also included another leaflet specifically about this test for further information. Bloods It may be necessary to take some blood when you attend the clinic. Haematuria (blood in your urine) tests You may need some or all of these tests: Urine You may need to have a further urine test. Please come to clinic with a comfortably full bladder. USS An ultrasound scan is a painless test that uses sound waves to create images of organs and structures inside your body. 4 Flexible Cystoscopy A flexible cystoscopy is a procedure that looks at the bladder and other parts of the urinary system. It involves inserting a tube into the urethra and then passing it through to the bladder. A local anaesthetic gel is used to numb the urethra before the procedure. We have also included another leaflet specifically about this test for further information. Bloods It may be necessary to take some blood when you attend the clinic. CT You may also receive an appointment for a CT scan. The CT scanner creates computerised, three dimensional, pictures that allow your doctor to see the whole urinary tract clearly. You may be asked to attend for either: CT urogram For a CT urogram you have an injection of a dye into a vein. Then a CT scanner takes a series of X-rays to give a detailed picture of the kidneys, ureters and bladder. CT TAP A CT TAP is a CT scan of your thorax (chest), abdomen and pelvis. What will I need to bring to clinic? Please bring anything to clinic that will help us understand your problem better, for example: a list of current medications including those prescribed by your GP, medicines you have bought yourself or alternative medicines, such as herbal remedies. 5 If you have them, please also bring a dressing gown and slippers. Do I need to bring anyone with me? You don’t have to bring anyone with you to clinic but most people find that it is useful to bring someone with them. What happens next? You will be given full details of the next steps before you leave the diagnostic clinic but possible outcomes include: • If your results are normal you will either be told at the clinic or by letter shortly afterwards, and discharged back to the care of your GP. • You may be called back to a results clinic so that you can discuss your treatment options with the clinical team and decide how you would like to proceed. • You may be asked to return for further tests, for example, a CT or ultrasound scan. • Your results may be discussed at a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) meeting. This is a meeting held weekly when the whole team involved in your care will review your results and decide what treatment options to offer you. Contact Details If you require any more information please contact your GP. 6 7 Sources of further information www.lancsteachinghospitals.nhs.uk www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk www.patient.co.uk Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is not responsible for the content of external internet sites. stration • R o Illu M.I. Department: Urology Directorate: Surgery Production date: June 2013 Review date: June 2015 8 by Medical ed 2013 ital • Design sp l Preston Ho ya