Kidney hydronephrosis: What to expect?

Hi there. My gastroenterologist just flagged some mild hydronephrosis (Grade I/II) on my ultrasound. They suggested I follow up with a urologist to keep an eye on it. I tried yesterday to get a referral through my insurance provider here in the States—absolute nightmare! It looks like I might have to go private. Since money doesn't grow on trees, I’m hoping to avoid any unnecessary runaround. My doctor recommended a urologist perform the renal ultrasound, but the private clinics are telling me I need both a consultation *and* a separate ultrasound appointment. Isn't that a bit redundant? How exactly can he "examine" the hydronephrosis without the imaging? Sure, I know there are invasive procedures out there, but isn't an ultrasound a perfectly fine starting point? Shouldn't the scan be enough for him to form an opinion? If anyone has dealt with this before, I’d love to hear your thoughts. 😐😄 Thanks

Gary Williams18 said:Hey everyone. So, my gastroenterologist just did an ultrasound and flagged some hydronephrosis in one of my kidneys (Grade I/II). They suggested I follow up with a urologist to keep an eye on it. I tried yesterday to get a referral through my insurance—total nightmare! Honestly, I’ll probably just have to go private. But look, since I can't exactly pull money out of thin air, I'm trying not to get ripped off here. My gastro said a urologist should perform the kidney ultrasound. However, when I call private clinics, they tell me I need both a full urology consultation AND a separate ultrasound appointment. It feels like a bit of a scam, right? I mean, how is he supposed to actually "examine" the hydronephrosis if he isn't doing the ultrasound himself? Sure, I know there are invasive tests, but shouldn't an ultrasound be the logical first step? Isn't that enough for him to see what's going on and give a solid opinion? If anyone has dealt with this before, please drop some info below 😐😄 Thanks

An ultrasound and maybe a CT scan to figure out what's actually causing the hydronephrosis.

Look, when it's time to face it, it's time to face it.

http://www.mayoclinic.org...a/hydronephrosis

Read a few lines of that, then try to wrap your head around why an ultrasound alone isn't enough—you’re going to need a full consultation with a urologist. This isn't some "plug & play" situation where you just run a quick scan and call it a day.

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Thanks for the input. Of course, I’m not suggesting this is some kind of plug&play situation, but I figured I'd ask...

Gary Williams18 said:Thanks for the input. Look, I know it’s not exactly plug & play—I wasn't suggesting it was—just throwing the question out there...

Your primary care doctor has to give you a referral first.

Lisa Gray30 said:Your primary care physician has to give you the referral first.

I think I’ll just skip that step and book a private appointment with a urologist for an exam and ultrasound. It's something I can actually afford right now. If the specialist decides I need more testing, well, then I'll definitely have to go through the official channels for those referrals.

Head straight to the ER and tell them you haven't been able to urinate all day. They'll likely get a catheter in you and hand over a referral for a urologist—or, if they're being efficient, they might just send you to see one immediately.

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Jose Doyle89 said:Just head straight to the ER and tell them you haven't been able to pee all day. You'll likely get a catheter put in—and they'll either give you a referral for a urologist or maybe just send you straight to one right then and there.

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They might skip the catheter if you mention you're feeling pain in your lower back on that side. They'll send you to a urologist who can run an ultrasound.

Eh, it hasn't really gotten to the point where I need an emergency room visit... I'll get through all this in a few days.