Clinical assessment and procedures

Urine cytology

Urine cytology is a diagnostic pathology method that microscopically examines cells shed into urine to detect urothelial carcinoma; it is highly specific but only moderately sensitive, best for high-grade tumors.

Urine specimen collection

Urine specimen collection is the clinical procedure of obtaining a urine sample by midstream clean catch, catheterization, or suprapubic aspiration for urinalysis, culture, and other testing.

Urine test strip

Urine test strip (dipstick, reagent strip): plastic strip with dry-chemistry pads detecting glucose, protein, blood, ketones, nitrite, leukocyte esterase, pH, and more; from Maumené 1850 and Oliver 1883 to Clinistix 1956.

Urodynamic testing

Urodynamic testing is the study of urine storage and evacuation by the lower urinary tract, recording bladder pressures to diagnose the cause of urinary symptoms.

Urodynamics

Urodynamics (UDS): tests measuring bladder pressure and urine flow (uroflowmetry, cystometry, pressure-flow studies) to diagnose bladder outlet obstruction and detrusor underactivity; UPSTREAM trial found no routine benefit.

Uroflowmetry

Uroflowmetry is a noninvasive diagnostic test that measures the flow rate of the urinary stream in mL/s, used as first-line screening for lower urinary tract symptoms.

Urogenital Surgical Procedures

Urogenital Surgical Procedures, MeSH D013519 (E04.950), is surgery on the urinary tract and male or female genitalia, spanning ancient lithotomy, cystoscopy, laparoscopy, and robot-assisted urologic and gynecologic operations.

Urography

Urography is a set of imaging methods visualizing the kidneys, ureters, and bladder to diagnose urinary tract disease. CTU has largely replaced IVU, while MRU remains an alternative.

Urogynecology

Urogynecology, formally Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery in the United States, is the subspecialty that diagnoses and treats pelvic floor disorders in women, including pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence.

Urologic Surgical Procedures

Urologic surgical procedures: surgery of the urinary tract (and male genitalia, MeSH D013521), spanning cystoscopy, ureteroscopy, stone surgery, cystectomy, nephrectomy, and urinary diversion, now dominated by laparoscopic and robot-assisted approaches.

Urological Diagnostic Techniques

Urological diagnostic techniques (MeSH D003950) are methods for diagnosing urinary tract disease, spanning urinalysis, cystoscopy and ureteroscopy, urography and cross-sectional imaging, and urodynamics, from Bozzini's 1805 endoscope and Nitze's 1877 cystoscope to CT and AI-assisted analysis.

Urologists

Urologists are medical doctors and surgeons who diagnose and treat diseases of the male and female urinary tract and the male reproductive organs, from kidney stones to urologic cancers.

Urology

Urology: surgical specialty of the urinary tract and male reproductive organs, distinct from nephrology. Key facts: AUA founded 1902, first US residency Johns Hopkins 1915, German board certification 1924, da Vinci robotic surgery growth.

USMLE Step 1

USMLE Step 1, the first United States Medical Licensing Examination step co-sponsored by FSMB and NBME, is an 8-hour basic-science exam reported pass/fail since January 26, 2022, with a $695 fee and new 14-block format from May 14, 2026.

Uterine artery embolization

Uterine artery embolization is an interventional radiology procedure in which particles block blood flow in both uterine arteries, shrinking fibroids as a uterine-sparing alternative to hysterectomy and controlling postpartum hemorrhage.

Uterine balloon tamponade

Uterine balloon tamponade is a procedure that controls severe postpartum hemorrhage by inflating a fluid-filled balloon inside the uterus, recommended by the World Health Organization.

Uterine Monitoring

Uterine monitoring is the measurement or recording of uterine contraction activity, used to track labor progress, guide oxytocin dosing, and assess how the fetus tolerates contractions.

Uterine transplantation

Uterine transplantation, also called uterus transplantation or UTx, implants a donor uterus into a woman with absolute uterine factor infertility so she can carry a pregnancy.

Uterus transplantation

Uterus transplantation is a surgical procedure that transfers a donor uterus into a woman with absolute uterine factor infertility; the first live birth was in 2014.

UVB phototherapy

UVB phototherapy is a dermatological treatment exposing the skin to ultraviolet B light to treat psoriasis, vitiligo, and atopic dermatitis, mostly with narrowband 311 nm lamps.

Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty

Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) is an operation removing excess tissue from the uvula, soft palate, and pharynx, plus the tonsils, to treat snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.

VAC study

VAC study (NCT05969886), a 2023–2024 prospective cohort at University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City showing an Ea/Ees ratio > 1 predicts post-induction hypotension in 405 elective non-cardiac surgery patients.

Vacuum aspiration

Vacuum aspiration, also called suction curettage, is a surgical procedure that empties the uterus through a cannula attached to a vacuum source, used for early abortion and miscarriage care.

Vacuum extraction

Vacuum extraction is an assisted vaginal delivery in which a suction cup on the baby's scalp applies traction during the second stage of labor, now more common than forceps in the United States.

Vacuum-assisted biopsy

Vacuum-assisted biopsy, also known as vacuum-assisted breast biopsy, is a minimally invasive breast biopsy method in which vacuum suction draws tissue into the needle for multiple larger samples through one insertion.

Vacuum-assisted closure therapy

Vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) therapy, also called negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT), applies controlled suction through a sealed foam dressing to remove wound fluid and promote granulation tissue.

Oct 20, 2026

VaDe-4 trial

VaDe-4 (NCT05612321) is an Italian randomized controlled trial from Ospedale degli Infermi di Biella comparing vacuum-assisted delivery in the all-fours position versus supine position, targeting 250 women, with cup detachment and emergency caesarean as failure measures.

Vaginal biopsy

A vaginal biopsy is a procedure that removes a small tissue sample from the vaginal wall for microscopic examination, the gold standard for diagnosing vaginal precancerous lesions and cancer.

Vaginal birth after cesarean

Vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC), also called vaginal delivery following previous caesarean section, is vaginal birth after a prior cesarean, attempted via trial of labor after cesarean (TOLAC); success rates run 60-80%, with uterine rupture under 1% as the main risk.