Urologic diseases

The urinary tract is your body’s drainage system for the excretion of urine. Urine which is a byproduct of the food and fluid we consume is eliminated by the kidneys during the blood filtration process. The process is carried out by the urinary tract that includes your kidneys, ureters, and bladder. To urinate adequately, the urinary tract needs to work together in the correct order. Urologic conditions include prostate problems, stones in the part of the urinary tract, bladder control problems, kidney stones, infections of the urinary tract.

Reasons you should visit Bharat Hospital

Blood in the urine

If you detect blood in your urine then it’s immediately a cause for alarm. Visit your primary care physician right away, and they will help with arranging for an appointment with a urologist. If your urine is not the normal pale yellow but starts looking brown, pink, or tea-colored, there are chances that there’s blood in the urine. Remember that, blood in the urine may or may not be visible with a naked eye.

Sometimes blood in the urine may occur due to the temporary issues which are caused by injury and vigorous exercise, but usually, it’s due to far more serious urologic diseases like-

• Bladder infection
• Kidney infection
• Kidney stones
• Kidney, bladder, or prostate cancer

Poor Bladder control

The inability to control your urine can signal a severe urological issue, and if not treated at the earliest it can lead to chronic conditions. The severity can include urine leakage when you cough or sneeze, and having the strong urge to urinate and not making it to the toilet in time. If this situation continues, you will have to see a urologist as soon as possible.

Painful urination

Painful urination for women usually means that they can contract a Urinary Tract Infection, and in men, it can mean they have a prostate condition. Some other causes can include:

• Bladder stones
• Chlamydia
• Cystitis
• Sexually transmitted infections
• Kidney stones
• Prostate inflammation
• Vaginal infection
• Yeast infection

Pain in the lower abdomen, Sides, or Groin

Painful urination also signifies stone in the kidneys. When you feel intense pain during urinating, it may come from the stones that move around when urinating. Symptoms may include:

• Severe pain when standing, lying down or sitting
• Blood in the urine
• Difficulty urinating
• Nausea, vomiting, and fever (which usually happened due to the infection)

Fallen bladder protrusion

This condition usually affects women and the symptoms include:

• Tissue protruding from the vagina
• Pain in the pelvic region
• Difficulty in urinating
• Feeling that your bladder is not empty even after urination
• Urine leakage during sneezing, coughing, exertion
• Bladder infections
• Painful intercourse
• Lower back pain

Hernia

The symptoms can be hard to detect, but you may see or feel a bulge that’s created by the hernia. The bulge will be more evident once you’re standing. Coughing and other strain will make the bulge quite noticeable. Once the diagnosis is confirmed, you need to get urology treatment without any delay.

Why Bharat Hospital for Urology?

The Urology department at Bharat Hospitalprovides facilities for a wide range of basic and specialised urological investigations and treatments with world-class expertise in all aspects of urological care. Our department is one of the few national centres which offers highly specialised tests such as video urodynamics and template prostate biopsy.

We are one of the first to introduce steroid-free immunosuppression in renal transplant surgeries, thereby significantly reducing the risk of steroid-induced infective complications.

Some common urological conditions we treat include:

• Urinary Incontinence
• Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)
• Prostate cancer
• Bladder cancer
• Bladder prolapse
• Hematuria (blood in the urine)
• Erectile dysfunction (ED)
• Interstitial cystitis (also called painful bladder syndrome)
• Overactive bladder
• Prostatitis (swelling of the prostate gland)

In children, some of the urological conditions we treat include:

• bed-wetting
• undescended testicles
• posterior urethral valve
• pelvic urethral junction obstruction

Why Bharat Hospital for Urology?

There are many urologic diseases and they are easier to prevent than to treat all you need is the right care at the right time. Here are some preventive measures you can take:

• Timely treatment of infectious diseases that take place in the body, especially sore throat, sinusitis, gastrointestinal tract, and sexually transmitted diseases.
• Proper personal hygiene, especially around the genitals
• Wearing clothes that are made from natural fabric like cotton and silk, to reduce the risk of skin irritations
• Avoiding overwork, stress, dehydration
• Managing blood sugar and blood pressure level
• Following proper hygiene in your sexual life
• Visiting a urologist at least twice a year for checkups and routine examinations
• A nutritious diet that includes plenty of dairy products, carbohydrates, vegetables, fruits, and nuts. Salt intake must be less, and processed food should be avoided at all costs.
• Regular walks
• Taking time to meditate and do yoga
• Sleeping well
• Avoiding OTC painkillers as much as you can
• Complete rejection of alcohol and smoking
• Drinking at least two liters of water a day

Lifestyle measures and a healthy diet play a vital role in the management of urological disorders.

Diagnosis: What to expect?

Generally, a urologist will start with one or more of the following tests to find out what condition you have. Often the diagnostic tests begin with blood and urine tests to gauge the actual cause.

• They may perform imaging tests like a CT scan, MRI scan or ultrasound to check inside the urinary tract.
• Urologists might order a cystoscopy procedure, which involves advancing a thin scope called cystoscope in your body to see the inside of the urethra and bladder.
• A cystogram procedure can allow urologists to take an X-ray image of the bladder.
• To check how fast urine leaves the body during urination, a post-void residual urine test is conducted. It also shows the amount of urine left in the bladder after the patient urinates.
• Urine sample test can be done to check for infection-causing bacteria in the urine.

Effective diagnosis at a urology hospital

Initial examination of the patient

This is the initial stage, and the doctor will collect the medical history and information that comes with the patient’s condition. They will examine the patient’s physical condition and ensure that the organs and lymph nodes are in proper condition.

Laboratory examination

This includes various tests, like blood and urine, to ensure that the kidneys and bladder are in proper condition.

Urodynamic testing

This is a modern form of examination and its purpose is to determine the functions of the urinary system.

Endoscope examinations

The doctor will use a special instrument called an endoscope, which will allow a careful examination of the internal surface of the genitourinary system.

Ultrasound diagnostics

This is considered as one of the most effective methods of testing for urologic diseases. The main benefits include the absence of contrasting agents and there is no need to depend on the results of functional kidneys.

Treating Urinary problems

Urinary problems will usually occur when the urinary tract is infected by pathogens like fungi, viruses, and bacteria. Usually, generic urology diseases can be treated by antibiotics because they are caused due to infections. You must complete the course of your medication to ensure a faster recovery. It’s important to keep yourself hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids because it will help you feel better. If the symptoms don’t go away with medication, then there may be an underlying problem and your urologist may recommend intense forms of treatments.

Surgical Procedures in Urology

Urologists are trained to perform different types of surgery, which may include:

• biopsies of the bladder, kidneys, or prostate
• a cystectomy to remove the bladder for cancer treatment
• a kidney transplant to replace a damaged kidney with a healthy one
• extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy that breaks up kidney stones so that they can be removed easily
• a procedure to open a blockage
• a repair of damage due to injury
• prostatectomy to remove all or part of the prostate gland for the treatment of prostate cancer
• repair or reconstruction of urinary organs that aren’t well-formed
• a sling procedure for the treatment of urinary incontinence. Here, strips of mesh are used to support the urethra and keep it closed.
• ureteroscopy for the removal of stones from the ureter and kidneys
• vasectomy, a procedure followed to prevent pregnancy. It involves cutting and tying the vas deferens or the tube sperm travel through to produce semen
• transurethral resection of the prostate for the removal of excess tissue from an enlarged prostate
• transurethral needle ablation of the prostate that removes excess tissue from an enlarged prostate

SERVICES AND FACILITIES

1. Andrology

• Medical treatments and Psychosexual Counselling
• Penile Prosthetic Surgery
• Penile Straightening Surgery
• Microscopic Surgery for Infertility

2. Female Urology

• Treatment of Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections
• Minimally Invasive Surgery for Stress Incontinence (Synthetic Slings)

3. Neuro-Urology

• Evaluation with Video Urodynamics (One of the Few Centres in South India)
• Intravesical Botulinum Toxin Injections under Local Anaesthesia (Only Centre in India)
• Artificial Urinary Sphincter Insertion

4. Reconstructive Urology

• Laparoscopic Pyeloplasty
• Buccal Mucosa Urethroplasty for Urethral Strictures
• Neobladder Reconstruction and Bladder Augmentation

5. Renal Transplantation

• Laparoscopic Live Donor Nephrectomy Programme

6. Stone Treatments

• Endoscopic Ureteric And Renal Stone Surgery with Laser Key Hole Surgery For Renal Stones

7. Prostate Diseases

• Endoscopic Prostate Surgery (Conventional and Holmium Laser)

8. Uro-oncology

• Kidney Cancer – Laparoscopic Nephrectomy and Laparoscopic Partial Nephrectomy Bladder Cancer – Transurethral Bladder Tumour Removal and Radical Cystectomy
• (Open and Laparoscopic)
• Prostate Cancer – Radical Prostatectomy (Open and Laparoscopic)
• Testis Cancer – Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection (RPLND)
• Penile Cancer – Penile Conserving Surgeries with Reconstruction and dynamic Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy (Only Centre in India)

Expect all the services at Bharat  Urological Department, one of the best urology hospitals in India.

Urology FAQ’s

Why would you need to see a urologist?

Your primary doctor will refer you to a urologist if you show signs of any infection or condition concerning your urinary tract. Some of the symptoms that suggest a problem in the urinary tract include;

• Blood in your urine
• Pain or burning sensation
• Frequent need to urinate
• Pain in your pelvis or lower back
• Men may also need to visit a urologist if you observe these symptoms
• Decreased sexual desire
• Lump in the testicle

Urological problems can differ mostly in men, women, and children.

Men

• Cancers concerning bladder, kidneys, penis, testicles, and prostate glands
• Erectile dysfunction
• Infertility
• Kidney stones
• Urinary tract infections
• Interstitial cystitis

Women

• Bladder prolapses
• Cancers concerning bladder, kidneys, and adrenal glands
• Urinary tract infections
• Urinary incontinence
• Overactive bladder

Children

• Bed-wetting
• Urinary tract structure problem
• Undescended testicles

What does a urologist do on your first visit?

Your primary doctor will first consult you to a urologist. The urologist will then study your case and run some tests to find out your medical condition. After diagnosis, the urologist will suggest the treatment that would be appropriate to your condition. It is important to be well-prepared with your medical history, previous test results, and any changes you observed in your health.

What diseases do urologists treat?

Urologists treat all diseases and conditions concerning the urinary tract. The diseases include:

• Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH): This is a disease where the prostate gland increases in size. BPH is not directly connected to the prostate gland and is mostly observed in older men.
• Urinary Incontinence: This refers to a loss of bladder control
• Urinary Tract Infections (UTI’s): Pathogenic bacteria or viruses enter the urinary tract and cause infection.
• Kidney Stones: Deposits are formed in the kidneys and cause mild to excruciating pain when passed through urine.

How do you know if something is wrong with your kidneys?

Kidneys are a pair of organs that filter your blood and help remove toxins from your body. When kidneys lose the ability to filter waste from your blood a kidney failure may occur. Some of the symptoms to look out for are:

• Seizures
• Excessive fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Nausea
• Swelling of your legs, feet, and ankles
• Reduced urine flow