X-ray images of the bladder and urethra can be produced after the injected radiopaque substance passes through the kidneys or after this substance is introduced into the urinary tract through the urethra in a procedure called retrograde urography. These tests can provide information about the flow of urine through the kidneys. Cystoscopy, in which a viewing tube containing a fiber-optic device is inserted into the urethra, is used to view the inside of the bladder directly. Treatment and Prognosis Urinary tract infections and kidney failure, if present, are treated promptly. If the obstruction is complete, the infection is serious, or stones are present, a catheter to temporarily drain the urine may be inserted into the renal pelvis through the skin of the flank.
Chronic hydronephrosis is corrected by treating the cause and by relieving the urinary obstruction.
A narrow or abnormal section of a ureter may be surgically removed and the cut ends joined together. Sometimes surgery to free the ureters from fibrous tissue is needed. If the junction of the ureters and bladder is obstructed, the ureters can be surgically detached, then attached to a different part of the bladder. If the urethra is obstructed, treatment can include drugs such as hormone therapy for prostate cancer, surgery, or enlargement of the urethra with dilators. Other treatments may be needed for stones that block urine flow.