Author Archive

Cystoscopy—also called cystourethroscopy—is a procedure used to see inside the bladder and urethra. The procedure is typically performed as an outpatient procedure using a local anesthetic to numb the urethra. During the process, a specialized tube with a small camera on the end is inserted into the urethra and slowly advanced into the bladder in order to identify certain infections or diseases such as cancer. If during the procedure an abnormality is found, a biopsy will be performed so that ...

In the medical world, there are roughly two dozen known sexually transmitted diseases (STD)—each ranging in severity and all caused by some form of a pathogen (i.e. a virus, bacteria, parasite, etc.) that is spread through sexual contact. More than 13 million people are affected by STDs annually. Regardless of a person’s social or economic class or of their height, weight and age, most all STDs are transmitted because of unprotected sexual contact. STDs can be painful, humiliating, debilitating and ...

Acute bacterial prostatitis is a bacteria infection of the prostate gland that affects primarily young and middle aged men. Most men who experience acute bacterial prostatitis will suffer symptoms such as chills, fever, severe burning during urination as well as a feeling or need to urgently urinate although bladder emptying will be incomplete. Most always, the condition will require medical attention and can be cleared up with an oral antibiotic which will typically be prescribed for a minimum of ...

Acute infectious prostatitis is an inflammation of the prostate caused by bacteria that can present symptoms suddenly and for many patients quite severe. Some of the most common symptoms that usually cannot be ignored and most always need some form of medical treatment include fever, chills, urination difficulty and a burning sensation while urinating. Most patients who have been diagnosed with acute infectious prostatits will typically be prescribed an antimicrobial medication for 7 to 14 days and in most cases ...

The inability to control urine, known as incontinence, can affect any individual for a host of different reasons. For women in particular, having weak sphincters could lead to a form of incontinence. Sphincters are the muscles within the urinary system that allow the body to hold in urine. If the sphincter muscles stop working, urine leakage will result. This condition is known as intrinsic sphincter deficiency. There are treatment options available for this disorder. One of the most common remedies ...

Percutaneous nephrolithotomy is a surgical procedure, typically performed under general or spinal anesthesia to remove kidney stones that are more than 2 cm in size. The procedure is performed by a surgeon or a neurologist where a tiny incision is made through the skin and then a nephroscope is passed directly into the kidney and, if necessary, the ureter. The physician can then extract the stones from the kidney. Once the surgery is complete, a tube is inserted into the ...

Roughly one out of every ten people in the U.S. will develop a kidney stone at some point in their life. Kidney stones are hard mineral deposits that form in the kidney and are eventually released through the urethra. The process of eliminating a kidney stone can be very painful for the person experiencing it and sometimes surgery is needed. One procedure used to treat kidney stones is electrohydraulic lithotripsy (EHL)—a process in which a physician uses a flexible probe ...

Hemolytic uremic syndrome exists when blood clotting occurs within the blood vessels of the body leading to hemolytic anemia (low blood count), thrombocytopenia (low platelet count) and renal (kidney) failure. It is most commonly found in children under the age of 10 and typically is caused (in 75% of most cases) by a specific strain of E-Coli. Severe diarrhea, fatigue, pale skin, swelling and unexplained bruising are some of the symptoms of hemolytic uremic syndrome. In most cases, patients will ...

The Targis microwave system by Urologix® is a non-surgical device developed to relieve symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (also referred to as BPH—a noncancerous enlargement of the prostate gland). The one-hour procedure is typically performed by a urologist who inserts a flexible catheter into the urethra. Within the catheter, a microwave exists which creates high temperatures in order to destroy the diseased over-grown prostrate tissue. While this procedure is occurring, at the same time, the catheter cools ...

When a male experiences a varicocele, his fertility can be affected. In addition, for some men, shrinkage of the testes and pain associated in the area of the scrotum can be additional symptoms. An outpatient procedure called a varicocele embolization is quickly becoming the treatment of choice for many men because it is a safe, non-surgical procedure in which the varicocele is closed off. The procedure is performed when a numbing agent is applied to the skin ...