Urology FAQs | Consult With Our Urology Specialist

Before meeting your urologist for the first time, here’s a checklist of items you should be prepared:
1. All symptoms along with their characteristics and duration
2. All recent medical tests such as blood tests, urine tests, etc.
3. If you have any existing medical conditions, bring along your prescription and related medical information
4. Information about your family history
5. Your insurance details or company ID card, if the hospital is on your panel.

Urinary problems such as incontinence, prostate problems or UTI’s (Urinary Tract Infection) have a detrimental effect on the sex life. Patients with urinary problems should talk to their doctor openly about sexual issues if any.

In India, it is expected 12 % of the population is expected to have urinary stones, with recurrent stones a possibility, in almost 50% of stone patients.

Kidney stones are normally due to an extra build-up of calcium, uric acid, oxalates or phosphates in urine.

Causes of kidney stones:
 Due to recurrent infections, such as UTI.
 Hot climate increase the concentration of solutes in urine
 Dehydration: People who drink less than the recommended 8 – 10 glasses of water may be susceptible to kidney stones
 Metabolic causes such as hyperparathyroidism, Gout
 Immobilization (such as a paraplegic patient), sedentary life style
 Randall’s plaques
 Renal anomalies like PUJ obstruction.
 Family history of stone formers
 Some drugs leads to stone formation

Yes, diet affects the formation of kidney stones. Not drinking enough water, diet rich in red meat, dry fruits, calcium and oxalates can cause kidney stones.

Prostatitis is most common urological problem in males. Uncontrolled diabetes predisposes for infection in body including prostate.

Prostatitis due to bacterial infection is contagious. Unsafe sex can lead to spread of the bacteria to the partner.

There are certain measures one must take to make to avoid prostatitis:
 Hygiene is your priority. Make sure you are cleaning yourself regularly especially your penis and foreskin
 Ejaculate regularly- if you ejaculate infrequently or practice ‘Bhramcharya’, your semen (prostatic secretions) accumulates inside prostate and leads to infection.
 Do not go for urination immediately after sex/ ejaculation. If you urinate immediately after ejaculation, urine enters into opened prostatic glands orifices and causes prostatitis.
 Hydrate yourself to make sure your urination is adequate.
 If you are prone to UTI’s, get routinely examined.
 If you are diabetic, get regular checkups and control your blood sugar level.
 Practice safe sex

The risk factors of prostatitis are:
 Infrequent Ejaculation or abstinence from sexual activity
 Urination immediately after ejaculation
 Bladder outlet obstruction such as BPH, Stricture urethra, Stones, Tumors
 A suppressed immune system,
 Catheterization
 Unprotected sex / Multiple Partners
 Diabetes Mellitus

Unlike common infections, in prostatitis antibiotics are required for 4 to 6 weeks duration. Analgesics are given for short period for controlling acute symptoms. Alpha blocker medicines of prostate are given to increase penetration of antibiotics into prostate gland. In chronic or recurrent cases some medicines need to be taken for long period.

Normal vaginal delivery causes weakening of pelvic muscles which can be regained by exercises. In ladies who have multiple vaginal deliveries or prolong / obstructed delivery, pelvic muscles weaken permanently and may lead to prolapse of pelvic organs like uterus and urinary bladder. It may also cause leakage of urine during physical stress like coughing or laughing.

When the prolapse is in its early stages and is mild, it can be treated non-surgically with the help of strengthening exercises and physiotherapy. If the prolapse or the ligaments are torn or the prolapse occurs in a late stage, surgery is indicated.

: Depending on the type and progress of the prolapse, there are surgical & non-surgical treatment options. Non-surgical treatments include physiotherapy to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles to retract the prolapse, changing diet and bowel habits, use of a pessary (a rubber device placed inside the vagina) to give additional support.

Surgery is done to retract the prolapse, repair the torn ligaments and fascia. A synthetic mesh may be used to give additional support.

When you find blood in urine that is known as hematuria. Hematuria is a sign, rather than a condition, for a range of conditions, from kidney disease to an enlarged prostate. It may be early sign for cancer. Therefore even if hematuria resolves by its own or by some medications, it should always be investigated for its cause. Ignoring it at early phase may lead to advancement of disease specially cancer.
In adult more than 40 year of age, even a single episode of hematuria should warrant investigations to rule out cancer.

Depending on the underlying cause for hematuria, one might need surgical intervention.

Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH) is an enlargement of prostate gland. The prostate is a walnut-shaped gland in men, placed around the urethra below urinary bladder. It is not testis as confused by a few. This enlarged gland slowly squeezes on the urethra and decreases the flow of urine. BPH is a normal, aging process for men. In more than 50 % individuals it causes urinary problems and requires treatment. Mostly these problems can be managed by medicines but sometimes surgery is required. Now a day’s prostate surgery is done by endoscopy which is minimally invasive and use of laser make it further safe even in high risk old age individuals.

Urination problems such as difficulty of starting stream, poor flow, frequent urination especially at night, unable to control urination and sometime leakage are common symptoms of BPH. If these are not treated well in time it may lead to complications like blood in urine or semen, urine retention, bladder muscle weakness, kidney failure, hernia formation, stone formation etc. If these complications appear then surgery becomes mandatory. Erectile and ejaculatory dysfunction may occur.

Most of the insurances and panel cover the treatment for prostate.

The certain steps one can take to prevent prostate problems:
 Exercising regularly
 Healthy balanced vegetarian diet
 Healthy frequency of ejaculation
 Hygiene of the penis and the surrounding areas
 Safe sex

Prostate cancer is second most common cancer in males. It is abnormal and unregulated growth of prostatic cells. When it advance and spread to bones and other organs, it may lead to death. In India, due to lack of awareness most of the cases present at advance stage. However even in advance stage, its treatment is quite successful to lead the patient his normal life.

Prostate cancer is due to the genetic mutation of certain prostate cell lines. Risk factors such as advancing age, family history, race, geography may also affect the chance of cancer developing.

There are certain considerations that one can adopt to prevent prostate cancer :

 Maintain a healthy body weight
 Limit your red meat and dairy intake
 Balances vegetarian diet
 Exercise regularly
 Ejaculate regularly
 Avoid smoking
 Drink in moderation
 Avoid over the counter health promotion drugs / supplements
 After the age of 40, go for a yearly rectal exam with/without a PSA test. Talk to your urologist about prostate cancer screening.

Depending on the type of surgery, your recovery and healing, your doctor will schedule follow ups.

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