What is a Urologist?

What is a urologist? A urologist also known as a urology specialist is a medical doctor that diagnoses and treats the bladder, the kidney, the prostate, erectile dysfunction causes (problemas ereccion), and urinary symptoms. Some urologists perform urologic surgery for cancer using the robotic da Vinci surgery system. The best urologists have experience in the entire breadth of urologic medicine giving them a more detailed, experienced, and balanced view of what will work on each patient.

What is a urologist doing that a regular doctor doesn’t? The urologist uses diagnostic instruments such as a flexible cystoscope and urodynamic machine to pinpoint the problems that occur along the urinary system. Stress incontinence (incontinencia urinaria), and urinary retention, are the two most common urinary problems that urology specialists address. Your regular doctor will send you to the urologist when test results and symptoms warrant it. You may be referred to the urologist when microscopic hematuria (microscopic blood in the urine) is found in a urine specimen or you find gross hematuria (seeing blood in the urine, sangre orina) when urinating. The urologist performs prolapse surgery which helps lift a dropped bladder back to its original position and corrects the bladder symptoms of leaking urine when coughing, laughing, and exercising.

The urologist is trained in diagnosing and treating cancer in the urinary system. Finding a urologist that has experience and has been using multiple approaches to treating cancer can help you in your decisions on how to go about treating your cancer. Simple cancer bladder (cancer vejiga) tumors that are growing on the surface of the bladder wall are usually removed by the urologist with a cystoscope under anesthesia. You may also be given medication to kill any cancer cells that may be remaining in the bladder, which will be placed in your bladder once a week for 6 to 8 weeks. More complex bladder surgery is involved if the bladder tumors are growing into deeper layers of the bladder. Renal cell carcinoma (cancer rinon) is normally treated with kidney surgery to remove the cancerous kidney mass with a nephrectomy (nefrectomia, see “what is a nephrectomy”) or a partial nephrectomy. Kidney stones treatment (calculos renales) is also covered by the urologist.

The urologist diagnoses and treats the prostate for prostate symptoms (sintomas prostata) that may lead to prostate cancer and BPH (see “What is BPH”). Prostate surgery for prostate enlargement is a common procedure that removes the excessive prostate tissue that is closing down the urethra and not allowing the bladder to empty completely causing urinary retention which in turn causes urinary frequency. Prostate cancer surgery (see “what is prostate cancer”) is usually very successful in removing the prostate cancer (cancer de prostata). Different approaches to treating prostate cancer have developed over the years which include the original prostate removal surgery called a radical prostatectomy (prostatectomia). Other approaches have come along such as prostate radiation seed implantation, and prostate cryosurgery (freezing the prostate). Laparoscopic prostatectomy was created to minimize bleeding, reduce scaring, and shorten the recovery period. The latest and greatest approach to prostate cancer is da Vinci prostatectomy (robotic prostate removal surgery).

The urologist also diagnoses and treats testicular cancer symptoms (cancer testiculo), impotence causes (impotencia masculina), and performs vasectomy procedures. Urologists perform penile surgery for vasculogenic impotence includes either an implantation of an inflatable penile prosthesis or penis surgery (cirugia pene) for the implantation of a malleable penis implant. ED (see “What is ED”) is often treated with Viagra, Cialis, or Levitra.

Natural alternative medicine is commonly used as a preventative measure (see “How can I be healthy). Weight reduction (see “How can I lose weight”) and eating healthy foods in the right proportions (see “how can I diet”) are known to reduce many medical risks. More and more people are using supplemental approaches to maintain their health with their regular medical care. These approaches include: Chinese medicines, such as acupuncture (see “what is acupuncture”), herbal therapy (see “what are natural remedies or remedio natural”), holistic specialists, and homeopathy (see “what is homeopathy”). 

“What is a urologist” website is brought to you by the Urology Specialists Miami and South Florida centers to help inform you about any urology matters that may concern you (see “what is urology”). We also have a Ask the Doctor blog so people can get answers from some of the world’s best urologists. For your convenience we have a request an appointment form online so that you can make the appointment for the day and time of your choice. Please call (305) 822-7227 for an appointment. We also offer supplements online for the bladder, kidney, prostate and ED. The following pages cover: symptoms, the bladder, the kidneys, the prostate, and what is erectile dysfunction.

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