Renal Procedures

After clinical evaluations, a nephrologist may order renal procedures to ensure accurate diagnosis. Depending on the procedure, deep sedation may be required to keep the patient still.

Renal Biopsy

Renal biopsy is a CT-guided procedure that removes a small piece of kidney tissue for laboratory examination, to diagnose certain kidney complications such as renal failure and hematuria. Depending on the age of the child, deep sedation may be required to keep the child still during the procedure. The doctor will ask the child to lie, facedown, on a table for about 20 to 30 minutes. A tiny incision is made in the skin and the doctor inserts the biopsy needle. With the aid of an ultrasound image, the needle will obtain samples of the kidney.

Lasix Renal Scan and VCUG

Lasix renal scan and voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG) are test procedures that monitor and determine any abnormalities in the lower abdomen and kidneys.

• The Lasix renal scan is done in Nuclear Medicine and is an x-ray procedure that visualizes the urinary system by adding a tracer into the child’s bloodstream. The tracer is harmless and the patient will remove it within a couple hours when they urinate. Depending on the age of the child, sedation may be ordered with the procedure.
• A VCUG is done in Radiology to determine if a child has a reversed flow of urine from the bladder up towards the kidneys. Sedation is not required for this procedure. The patient will lie on a table with machines that will take x-rays while a liquid, called contrast, will be introduced to the bladder through a catheter. After introducing the contrast, your child will be instructed to urinate and x-rays will be taken to determine normal urinary function.