Seeking advice for a pediatric urologist for Hydronephrosis
Hi all,
My wife and I recently welcomed our second child (~10 days old) who was diagnosed with hydronephrosis and urine reflux to his kidney during gestation. We have been referred to Dr. DiSandro of UCSF Benioff hospital for his condition. The doctor recommends that our son does a VCUG test as well as a MAG-3 Lasix test at 1 month old to better understand his kidney function and the extend of the urine reflux. While Dr. DiSandro has been great, we being anxious parents are also trying to see if there are other doctors we should see and consult with. Would really appreciate any recommendations people may have in terms of either their kids going through or have gone through similar situations or good pediatric urologist to recommend.
Thanks in advance for your time and help.
- G
Parent Replies
Dr Baskin at UCSF is the absolute expert. If your doctor is part of his clinic, I’d trust him. If not, switch to Dr Baskin. He’s a truly caring doctor. (Btw my son also had this condition, the tests showed it was nothing to worry about.)
Our son was diagnosed with hydronephrosis in utero. After he was born until he got the VCUG he was put on antibiotics to make sure he doesn't get a kidney infection in case of reflux. The VCUG showed no reflux. He outgrew the hydronephrosis by age 2.
From what our doctor (head of pediatric urology at Stanford at the time; name escapes my as it is more than ten years ago) told us, most kids outgrow it within a few years.
We were in this exact position with our first son. We thought we were seeing the "top Stanford doctor" but at the last minute ended up with a relatively new doctor as a substitute. She recommended all kinds of invasive testing, and we were very hesitant to put our newborn through that.
We sought a second opinion from Dr Laurence Baskin at UCSF, and were very impressed. He is relaxed, confident, and knowledgeable. He preferred a "wait and see" approach, which fit with how we wanted to handle the problem, and it ended up clearing up on its own. I would recommend seeing him!
We are going through this currently with our 4 month old. We see Dr. Morrell (Nephrology) and Dr. Baskin (Urology) at UCSF (Children's - Oakland) and are happy with both. We've already done the two tests you mention, and are awaiting the results of the Lasix test. We had the VCUG done at, I think, 1 month and the Lasix at 3 months. In terms of getting the tests performed, it is fairly straightforward and the staff at Children's are really great. They have been competent and efficient, as well as sensitive to our needs as new parents. It's not great to watch your newborn get an IV or catheter, but they do their best to be quick about it and are so good about calming our fears. Aside from testing, our little one is on low dose antibiotics daily to prevent a UTI, and we give him a probiotic as well on the recommendation of our pediatrician. I think if you are happy with the doctor you're currently seeing, then I'd stick with them, although if you're looking to switch I'd recommend the doctors we're seeing as they are great. Also, I know it is so easy to worry about your baby, but this diagnosis is not a big deal in the grand scheme of things. It is an easily treatable condition and your little one will likely grow out of it with little intervention needed, so try not to sweat it too much.