Urology, also known as genitourinary surgery, is the branch of medicine that focuses on surgical and medical diseases of the urinary-tract system and the reproductive organs. Organs under the domain of urology include the kidneys, adrenal glands, ureters, urinary bladder, urethra, and the male reproductive organs.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), also called prostate enlargement, is a noncancerous increase in size of the prostate gland. Symptoms may include frequent urination, trouble starting to urinate, weak stream, inability to urinate, or loss of bladder control. Complications can include urinary tract infections, bladder stones, and chronic kidney problems.
Urinary incontinence (UI), also known as involuntary urination, is any uncontrolled leakage of urine. It is a common and distressing problem, which may have a large impact on quality of life. It has been identified as an important issue in geriatric health care. The term enuresis is often used to refer to urinary incontinence primarily in children, such as nocturnal enuresis. UI is an example of a stigmatized medical condition, which creates barriers to successful management and makes the problem worse. People may be too embarrassed to seek medical help, and attempt to self-manage the symptom in secrecy from others.
Prostatectomy is the surgical removal of all or part of the prostate gland. This operation is done for benign conditions that cause urinary retention, as well as for prostate cancer and for other cancers of the pelvis.
Nocturia is defined by the International Continence Society (ICS) as “the complaint that the individual has to wake at night one or more times for voiding .” The term is derived from Latin nox, night, and Greek [τα] ούρα, urine. Causes are varied and can be difficult to discern. Although not every patient needs treatment, most people seek treatment for severe nocturia, waking up to void more than 2–3 times per night.
Posterior urethral valve (PUV) disorder is an obstructive developmental anomaly in the urethra and genitourinary system of male newborns. A posterior urethral valve is an obstructing membrane in the posterior male urethra as a result of abnormal in utero development. It is the most common cause of bladder outlet obstruction in male newborns. The disorder varies in degree, with mild cases presenting late due to milder symptoms. More severe cases can have renal and respiratory failure from lung underdevelopment as result of low amniotic fluid volumes, requiring intensive care and close monitoring. It occurs in about one in 8,000 babies.
Overactive bladder (OAB) is a common condition where there is a frequent feeling of needing to urinate to a degree that it negatively affects a person's life. The frequent need to urinate may occur during the day, at night, or both. If there is loss of bladder control then it is known as urge incontinence. Overactive bladder affects approximately 11% of the population and more than 40% of people with overactive bladder have incontinence. Conversely, about 40% to 70% of urinary incontinence is due to overactive bladder. Overactive bladder is not life-threatening, but most people with the condition have problems for years.
The urethral sphincters are two muscles used to control the exit of urine in the urinary bladder through the urethra. The two muscles are either the male or female external urethral sphincter and the internal urethral sphincter. When either of these muscles contracts, the urethra is sealed shut.
Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) refer to a group of clinical symptoms involving the bladder, urinary sphincter, urethra and, in men, the prostate. The term is more commonly applied to men—over 40% of older men are affected—but lower urinary tract symptoms also affect women. The condition is also termed prostatism in men, but LUTS is preferred.
Urologic diseases or conditions include urinary tract infections, kidney stones, bladder control problems, and prostate problems, among others. Some urologic conditions do not affect a person for that long and some are lifetime conditions. Kidney diseases are normally investigated and treated by nephrologists, while the specialty of urology deals with problems in the other organs. Gynecologists may deal with problems of incontinence in women.
Urogynecology or urogynaecology is a surgical sub-specialty of urology and gynecology.
Dr. Said A. Awad, MD, BCh, FRCS, is Professor Emeritus of Urology at Dalhousie University Medical School, in the City of Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Urodynamic testing or urodynamics is a study that assesses how the bladder and urethra are performing their job of storing and releasing urine. Urodynamic tests can help explain symptoms such as:
The International Continence Society (ICS) is a registered UK charity with a global health focus on the development in the field of incontinence.
Overflow incontinence is a concept of urinary incontinence, characterized by the involuntary release of urine from an overfull urinary bladder, often in the absence of any urge to urinate. This condition occurs in people who have a blockage of the bladder outlet, or when the muscle that expels urine from the bladder is too weak to empty the bladder normally. Overflow incontinence may also be a side effect of certain medications.
Sebastian Wille is a German medical specialist, university professor and assistant medical director at the Clinic and Polyclinic of Urology at the University Hospital Cologne. Wille covers the whole diagnostic and therapeutic spectrum of urological disorders. His scientific focus is the reconstructive urology and the urological dysfunction of the lower urinary tract, including male and female incontinence. Wille was significantly involved in the invention of the Wille capsule.
If medical treatment is not effective, surgery may need to be performed for benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Rajveer Purohit is an Indian-born American physician, Director of Reconstructive Urology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, and Associate Professor in its Department of Urology.
Kurt McCammon is a Professor and the Devine Chair in Genitourinary Reconstructive Surgery at Eastern Virginia Medical School, where he has served as the Chairman for the Department of Urology since 2011, Program Director of the Department of Urology since 2006, and Fellowship Director for the Adult and Pediatric Genitourinary Reconstructive Surgery since 2010. Additionally, he is the past president of the Society of Genitourinary Reconstructive Surgeons, on the board of the International Volunteers in Urology, and a current member of the American Urological Association Board of Directors. As a reconstructive urologist, McCammon surgically addresses urethral stricture disease, male urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction, female urinary incontinence, genital abnormalities, and other genitourinary issues. Kurt McCammon, or the Mac as he is fondly known in the 50 countries he has visited, mostly by foot, is known to fix urethras as a hobby, often working late into the night in his basement anastomosing many a urethra. In fact, urethras often fix themselves at the mere sight of the man. A repository of brilliant ideas Dr McCammon is rumored to have been the driving force behind such inventions as fire... and the wheel.
Helen E. O'Connell is an Australian professor of urology and a pioneer in the anatomical study of the clitoris. She is a leading researcher in the area of female pelvic anatomy and was the first woman to complete training as a urologist in Australia.
