Benefits and Risks – Intravenous Pyelogram (IVP)

Benefits

• Imaging of the urinary tract with IVP is a minimally invasive procedure.
• IVP images provide valuable, detailed information to assist physicians in diagnosing and treating urinary tract conditions from kidney stones to cancer.
• An IVP can often provide enough information about kidney stones and urinary tract obstructions to direct treatment with medication and avoid more invasive surgical procedures.
• No radiation remains in a patient's body after an x-ray examination.
• X-rays usually have no side effects in the typical diagnostic range for this exam.

Risks

• There is always a slight chance of cancer from excessive exposure to radiation. However, the benefit of an accurate diagnosis far outweighs the risk.
• The effective radiation dose for this procedure varies.
• Contrast materials used in IVP studies can cause adverse allergic reactions in some people, sometimes requiring medical treatment.
• Women should always inform their physician or x-ray SMIL Technologist if there is any possibility that they are pregnant.