Specialty Area: Urology

Description of Specialty: Urology or genitourinary surgery is an area of medicine, specifically a specialty of general surgery, that deals with diseases of the urinary tract from the kidneys, down the ureters to the urinary bladder and then out the urethra. The male genital system, including the prostate, seminal vesicles, testicles and vas deferens, are also included in the area of Urology.

1. Diagnosis: Kidney Stones

Questions that should be asked:

  1. Of what is the stone made?
  2. Can it be dissolved?
  3. What are the chances the stone will pass by itself?
  4. What are the chances of developing more stones?
  5. What caused the stone and how can I prevent getting more stones?
  6. Are stones hereditary?

2. Diagnosis: Prostate Trouble/Benign Prostate Enlargement

Questions that should be asked:

  1. Does it develop into cancer?
  2. How do you know it is not cancer?
  3. How will treatment of my prostate problem affect my sexual life?
  4. What can I do (aside from drugs and procedures) to help reduce the problems that I am having?

3. Diagnosis: Prostate Cancer

Questions that should be asked:

  1. When should I begin checking, how often should I be checked and what tests should I have done?
  2. Why do you think this is the best treatment for my prostate cancer?
  3. What are the disadvantages of surgical techniques that try to preserve sexual function while removing prostate cancer?

4. Diagnosis: Prostatitis/Prostate Inflammation

Questions that should be asked:

  1. What causes this inflammation?
  2. Is it an infection?
  3. If it is an infection, is it transmittable by sexual activity?
  4. What can I do to prevent a recurrence of this problem?

5. Diagnosis: Bladder Cancer

Questions that should be asked:

  1. What is the stage of the cancer in terms of the depth of involvement of the bladder wall?
  2. What is the grade of the cancer in terms of how abnormal the cancer cells appear under the microscope?
  3. Based upon the grade and stage of the tumor, what is the prognosis for cure?
  4. What can I do to reduce the risk of getting more bladder cancer?
  5. What are the chances of these cancers developing in other parts of my urinary tract?

6. Diagnosis: Erectile Dysfunction/Impotency

Questions that should be asked:

  1. Is my problem primarily physical or primarily psychological?
  2. What are the options for treatment?

7. Diagnosis: Testicular Tumor/Scrotal Mass

Questions that should be asked:

  1. How reliable are the results of the tests short of a biopsy in confirming the diagnosis of either benign or malignant conditions?
  2. How can this be treated?

8. Diagnosis: Urinary Tract Infections (UTI)

Questions that should be asked:

  1. What is the risk of getting urinary tract infection?
  2. What are the symptoms of a UTI?
  3. How is a UTI treated?
  4. What can I do to keep from getting a UTI?

9. Diagnosis: Urinary Incontinence

Questions that should be asked:

  1. What is urinary incontinence?
  2. How is my bladder supposed to work?
  3. What causes urinary incontinence?
  4. Are there different types of urinary incontinence?
  5. Is the treatment different for different types?
  6. Where can I get additional information as to treatment?
  7. Can I prevent urinary incontinence?

Neal Neuman, M.D. Clinical Instructor, Genitourinary Department of Surgery Washington University School of Medicine St. Louis, MO

                                                                                   

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