What is a Urologist - Diagnosing and treating the bladder.

What is a urologist doing to diagnose and treat the bladder? Urologists treat bladder disorders such as problems with urinating, infection, trauma, neurological disorders, and cancer. The most common problems in urology are that urine may not empty out of the bladder (urinary retention) or the urine does not stay in the bladder (urinary incontinence). An atonic bladder, floppy bladder, and neurologic bladder does not allow the bladder muscles (detrusor muscles) to squeeze with enough pressure to empty the bladder completely or in some cases at all. The bladder can be blocked (obstruction) not allowing the urine to leave which occurs with an enlarged prostate, dropped bladder, bladder stones, and urethral stricture. Urinary incontinence can be caused when urinary retention fills up the bladder that is not emptying properly and overflows causing incontinence. Urinary incontinence can also be caused by uninhibited nerves (without willing them) that squeeze the bladder causing urge incontinence. Muscles around the opening of the bladder may be weak or atrophied and not be able to hold the urine in the bladder.

What is a urologist doing to correct retention and incontinence? The urologist toolbox includes medications to help shrink the prostate, relax the bladder neck, and strengthen the bladder muscles. The urologist also uses a catheter to empty the bladder, green light laser, the button TURP, transurethral resection of the prostate, transurethral needle ablation (TUNA), or transurethral microwave therapy (TUMT) to remove the prostate tissue that is blocking the urine from leaving the bladder and causing frequent urination. Neural implants can be inserted into the spine to stimulate the bladder muscles into working properly. Self-catheterization can be used as a means to empty the bladder. Bio feed-back training and kegel exercises can help strengthen the bladder stopping stress incontinence. Prolapse surgery to lift up a dropped bladder with a mesh sling can also stop incontinence. Clinical research trials are constantly finding better solutions as time goes on.

What is a urologist doing to diagnose and treat urinary tract infection? The symptoms of cystitis (bladder infection) are frequent urination, burning urination, cloudy urine, urine odor, microscopic hematuria, gross hematuria, and abdominal pain. The urologist will take a urine specimen for a urine culture where the microscopic organism in the urine will grow colonies in a petri dish. The microorganism will be identified and how much infection there is will be determined and the urologist will then prescribe a medication at a specific dose and frequency to take it according to the pathology report. The urologist may also give you something to handle the pain. Infection can be located in the kidney, ureters, bladder, prostate (in men), and the urethra. That is why it is often referred to as urinary tract infection. The main culprit is e coli.

What is a urologist doing to diagnose and treat bladder cancer? Bladder tumors are diagnosed with a cystoscopy and imaging diagnostics such as an MRI, or CT scan. Bladder tumors on the surface of the bladder are removed by the urologist with a short cystoscopy procedure that requires no overnight stay. For cancer of the bladder that goes deep into the bladder and is spread out, a cystectomy (bladder removal) or a partial cystectomy is required. If the entire bladder is removed then a urinary diversion is created by creating an opening (stoma) on the abdomen where a removable plastic bag is placed to collect urine. Another option is to create a neobladder out of the digestive tract. If a partial nephrectomy is performed only a section of the bladder is removed and the remaining bladder is sutured together and a urinary diversion or neobladder is not needed.
Our team of urologists specializes in urinary incontinence and performs prolapse surgery and the cystectomies using robotic surgery minimizing blood loss, less scaring, and a faster recovery. Call (305) 822-7227 or request an appointment online. If you have any questions you can get them answered at our Ask the Doctor blog. We also have urology supplements for cystitis at our online natural alternative medicine store. The next page covers the urologist’s kidney surgeries.

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