What to Expect
The Posterior Urethral Valves (PUV) Center is the first in the world to offer comprehensive, coordinated care for children with this rare disorder. If your child has PUV, our multidisciplinary team of experts will be with you and your child every step of the way.
PUV affects each child differently, making a personalized treatment plan so important. Your child’s treatment plan may include medication, behavioral medicine and other therapies, bladder drainage and surgery. We also focus on essential health concerns like nutrition, growth and development. Our goal is to partner with you and your child so that they can achieve the best outcomes medically, socially, intellectually and emotionally.
Screening for possible bladder or kidney problems is an important part of your child’s treatment plan. So, our team may recommend certain screening tests for your child. These tests will help our care team be proactive about your child’s health. They help us identify minor problems so we can treat them before they become more serious. Depending on your child’s needs, these tests may take place annually or on a different schedule.
Children with PUV need expert medical care for the rest of their lives. However, with our holistic care, many people with PUV will have normal bladder and kidney function, normal sexual development and fertility, and a good quality of life.
The PUV Center cares for patients from the Cincinnati area, across the United States and worldwide. We understand the unique stresses of long-distance care and make every effort to arrange a comprehensive, coordinated visit with your child’s multidisciplinary care team. We are also interested in collaborating with your local physicians to care for your child here and at home.
We also offer online second opinions for patients and families inside the United States who live beyond the Greater Cincinnati area (southwest Ohio, northern Kentucky and southeast Indiana).
What to Expect at Your First Appointment at the Posterior Urethral Valves (PUV) Center
We want to make it easy for you to get the PUV care your child needs. The PUV team will do everything we can to make your visit as comfortable as possible.
Making an Appointment at the Posterior Urethral Valves (PUV) Center
For more information about the PUV Center or to request an appointment, contact the office.
International patients can reach the International Patient Program via this online form.
Before Your Appointment
Please complete all of our intake forms and send them with your child’s medical records to the PUV office before your first appointment.
Make sure to verify that your insurance will cover your visit before appointment day. Please bring a copy of your insurance card and identification with you to the visit.
On the Day of Your Visit to the Posterior Urethral Valves (PUV) Center
Please let us know in advance if you or your child have special needs or concerns; we will do our best to accommodate them.
Arriving at Your Appointment
The PUV Center is located on Cincinnati Children’s Burnet Campus. We recommend arriving at least 30 minutes to find parking, walk to the center, and to register. Please contact us if you will be more than 30 minutes late.
At Your Appointment
During your first visit to the PUV Center, you will meet your care team. Our core team of specialists includes pediatric urologists and complex urology nurses. Your team will talk with you about your child, review their medical history and test results, and answer your questions.
Your core team will decide if additional care is needed and schedule separate visits with those providers. Your child’s care team may expand to include specialists from behavioral medicine, developmental pediatrics, neonatology, nephrology, pulmonology and social work.
Your primary contact on the team is the nurse coordinator. They will work with the rest of the team to ensure we meet your child’s needs. Their job is to:
- Be your family’s primary point of contact between appointments
- Answer questions about your child’s care and future needs
- Connect you to other specialists who can answer your questions if they cannot
- Review test results and share any concerns with the team
- Help schedule appointments with other specialists
- Explain what health screenings your child may need
Your care team will make sure you know about helpful resources at Cincinnati Children’s that are available to you and your family, such as social workers and financial counselors.
At the end of the visit, we will talk with you about how your child is doing and next steps. Treatment or additional testing may occur at your first visit or as a follow-up. You will leave this first appointment with a specific, customized treatment plan.
After Your Visit to the Posterior Urethral Valves (PUV) Center
Your core PUV team will want to schedule regular follow-up visits with your child. During these visits, the team will:
- Talk to you and your child about how things are going
- Provide a thorough physical exam
- Use screening tools or testing to identify any new concerns
- Make referrals to any other specialists who can provide care and support
Your child’s nurse coordinator will help plan each clinic visit. If you have specific concerns about your child’s health, please let them know before your next appointment.
When it is time for your child to transition to an adult care provider, your care team will help the transition go smoothly.
