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Endourology

Endourology is a specialist section of urology, which involves using minimally invasive surgical techniques to investigate and diagnose conditions that affect the urinary tract.

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Urinalysis

A urinalysis is a simple and painless test that examines your urine. A urinalysis is used to look at small samples of your urine to detect and manage a large number of disorders. You may need to have a urinalysis if you have suspected kidney problems, infections or pain when urinating. A urinalysis is able to check, diagnose and monitor conditions such as early stages of diabetes, liver and kidney disease.

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Urinary incontinence

Urinary incontinence is an extremely common condition, affecting over 3 million people in the UK. It is defined as the unintentional passing of urine.

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Urinary Tract Infections

A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection caused by bacteria that occurs in any part of the urinary system, such as the bladder, urethra, ureters, and kidneys. An infection of the urethra and bladder is considered a lower urinary tract infection, and an infection of the ureters and kidneys is considered an upper urinary tract infection. The most common type of a urinary tract infection is a bladder infection, also known as cystitis.

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Metabolic stone screen for kidney stones

A kidney stone is a hard deposit of minerals that develops within the kidneys. These stones can affect people of any age however they are more likely to occur between the ages of 30-60, affecting around 1 in 10 of the population.

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Urine cytology

Urine cytology is the examination of cell structures found within urine. The body is made up of millions of cells. Cytology is a pathological specialty that involves the examination of individual cell’s shape and structure to help determine any underlying abnormalities.

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Haematuria blood in the urine

Haematuria means the presence of blood in your urine. If you notice blood in your urine, even if it has only happened once, you must have it investigated. The most common cause is due to an infection (cystitis) but it may be a sign of bladder cancer, stones in the kidneys or bladder, inflammation of the kidneys (nephritis), urinary tract injuries, blood disorders (such as sickle cell disease) and less common infections (such as TB). 30% of patients with visible haematuria will have an underlying cause identified, however, with non-visible blood in the urine only approx 5% will have a cause identified.

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Mid-stream urine culture

A midstream urine test is a urological investigation that can be done to diagnose and treat issues such as urinary tract infections (UTI) and non-visible blood in the urine.

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Urology

Urology is the section of healthcare that deals with diseases affecting the urinary tract in both men and women. The urinary tract is made up of the kidneys, ureter, bladder, prostate and urethra. It also involves the men’s reproductive organs; including the penis, testes, scrotum. As we get older, it unfortunately becomes very common to encounter some form of urological problems.

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Urosepsis

Urosepsis occurs when bacteria from a urine infection enters the bloodstream. Urinary tract infections (UTI) are very common. Around 50-60% of all women will have a UTI in their lifetime, however this does not mean that it will develop into urosepsis.

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Pyelonephritis

Pyelonephritis is a very unpleasant kidney infection caused by bacteria invading the main urine-producing area of the kidney (the parenchyma). If the infection is left untreated, it can become extremely painful and lead to the patient requiring urgent hospital admission for intravenous antibiotics and fluids to avoid sepsis developing.

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Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a medical term to describe an enlarged prostate. Note that it is not cancer and it is not usually a serious threat to health. Benign means non-cancerous, prostatic means related to the prostate gland, and hyperplasia means an increase in the number of cells.

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Renal colic

Renal colic is a type of pain that is caused by a urinary stone blocking the urinary tract. Stones can build up anywhere in the urinary tract, including in the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. They form when minerals, such as calcium, become stuck together and create hard crystals.

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Bladder stones

Bladder stones are hard lumps of mineral that can form in the bladder usually when it does not empty properly. When urine stagnates in the bladder chemicals (these naturally occur in urine) can react with each other to form crystals which can gather together and then become bladder stones. Some people will be able to pass the stones without any problems if the stones are small. Unfortunately, many people will experience symptoms with bladder stones, which are mainly caused by a combination of the urine flow being blocked and the bladder wall becoming irritated.

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Kidney function blood test

A kidney function blood test can identify how well your kidneys are working. You may be advised to have a blood test for your kidney function if your doctor or GP believes that there is a possible problem with one or both of your kidneys. In other cases, a problem with kidney function may be picked up incidentally by a blood test for another reason.

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Cystoscopy

A cystoscopy is a urological procedure that is done to look at the lining of the urethra and bladder using a small camera (cystoscope).

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Kidney pain

The kidneys are responsible for removing excess fluid and waste from the body. They are located under the rib cage on either side of the spine. Pain in and around the kidneys can be caused by a number of different factors and are often mistaken for back pain. Kidney pain can either be felt in one or both of the kidneys, this will be different depending on the cause of the pain.

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Renal tract ultrasound

A renal tract ultrasound is a painless scan to provide imaging of the renal tract. An ultrasound uses high frequency sound waves to create images of the internal structures. This is the same scan that is used on pregnant women. The renal tract consists of the kidney, ureters and bladder.

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Ureteric colic

Most common in adults around the age of 35-45 years, ureteric colic occurs when a ureteric stone obstructs the urinary tract, causing it to stretch and widen. Ureteric stones are hard crystals that form when minerals, such as calcium and uric acid, become stuck together in your urine. These stones can be really small and can sometimes be passed without the patient knowing, but when they grow big enough, they can be extremely painful.

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Kidney stone treatments

When it comes to kidney stone treatment, there are several options, which depend largely on the size of the stone. Smaller kidney stones, also called ureteric stones, will pass naturally and are managed conservatively with pain relief and medication.

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Kidney stones

Kidney stones are a common condition, with one in 10 people affected in the UK. Kidney stones are crystallisations of metabolites in the urine that congregate together and create stones. They look like small pieces of gravel and they come in a number of different colours and consistency, from small soft stones that can almost crumble in your hand to very hard and solid.

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Kidney stones and ureterorenoscopy

Kidney stones are a hard build-up of minerals in the kidneys.

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Ureteric obstruction

Ureteric obstruction is a blockage in one or both of your ureters. The ureters are the tubes that transport urine from the kidneys to the bladder. Ureteric obstruction is a fairly common condition (usually because of a ureteric stone) which can become extremely painful and even life-threatening if not treated.

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Laser stone surgery

Over the years, the number of treatments available for patients with ureteric and kidney stones has increased significantly, and the availability of lasers to treat stones has been a catalyst for many of these advances. Before you go ahead with any treatment for stones, it is important that your surgeon discusses the many different options that may be appropriate for your particular stone.

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Lower urinary tract symptoms

Lower urinary tract symptoms is a generic term that is used to describe a number of different symptoms that can arise from abnormalities in the lower urinary tract. The lower urinary tract consists of the bladder, prostate and urethra.

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Ureteric stones

Our kidneys filter waste and water from the body and drain urine it into the ureters to be expelled during urination. Mineral substances, such as calcium, oxalate and uric acid, can form into crystals called calculi. These can then move into the ureter and are then called ureteric stones. Ureteric stones can give rise to dreadful pain that can occur in the loin or groin and even can be felt in the bladder and they can be associated with blood in the urine.

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Management of nephrostomy tubes

A nephrostomy tube is a narrow tube that is used to drain the urine from the kidney. This is inserted to redirect urine away from the kidney and ureter into an external bag. Nephrostomy tubes can be inserted for a number of different reasons.

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Ureteroscopy

A ureteroscopy is a procedure that involves looking at the top half of the urinary system (kidneys and ureter). A ureteroscopy is performed by inserting a telescope-like device, called a ureteroscope, into the urethra, through the bladder to the ureter and kidneys. The ureteroscope is around the same thickness as a narrow pencil. It has a small camera on the end so that the surgeon can examine the kidneys and ureter.

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Medical scans

If you are receiving urological care, you may need to have one or more scans. There are many different types of scans and often patients don’t understand the difference between them. Each of the medical scans work differently; some use radiation, whereas others use sound waves, radio waves or magnets. Your doctor will explain which scan is the best for your particular condition.

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Extracorporeal Shockwave Lithotripsy

Since its introduction in the early 1980s, Extracorporeal Shockwave Lithotripsy (ESWL) has become the main therapeutic option for the majority of renal and ureteric stones. This non-invasive treatment administers a series of shock waves, which are targeted at the stone using an ultrasound scan or X-rays for guidance.

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