General Urology

General Urology

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Introduction

Most people have suffered from urinary tract diseases such as bladder control problems and kidney stones at least once in their lives. These are often caused by weak bladder muscles, severe constipation, diabetes or issues in the urinary tract. 
 
Urology is the medical specialty concerned with diseases of the urinary tract. This includes the kidneys, the adjacent adrenal glands, the bladder, the male prostate, the urethra and male testicles and the ureters. Management of the diseases in the urinary tract can either be surgical, medical or both. 
 
Dr Shannon Kim completed her Urology training in Sydney, NSW and undertook a one-year fellowship at Westmead and Blacktown Hospitals with focus on urinary tract stone surgery. She further sub-specialised in urological microsurgery in 2014. 
 
Learn how Dr Kim can help you with urology problems below:

Kidney Stones

Kidney stones are solid crystals formed from the salts in urine. Kidney stones can block the flow of urine and cause infection, kidney damage or even kidney failure. They can vary in size and location.

The risk of kidney stones is about one in 10 for men and one in 35 for women. Between four and eight per cent of the Australian population suffer from kidney stones at any time. 

After having one kidney stone, the chance of getting a second stone is between 5-10 per cent each year. 30-50% of patients with first kidney stone will get a second stone within five years. 

If small enough, a stone can disengage and pass through the ureter and out of the body unnoticed. If it is too large, it may lodge in the ureter and obstruct the flow of urine.
 
Unless stones are dissolvable kind (uric acid), if patient fails conservative management, surgery (laser treatment) is offered.

UTI

Although a UTI is one of the most common infections in women, it is rare in men. UTIs are estimated to affect around 3 percent of men worldwide each year. When a UTI develops in men, it is usually considered complicated and more likely to spread to the kidneys and upper urinary tract. Some cases may even require surgery. 

In cases of retractable or recurrent UTIs in both men and women, there are surgical and non surgical treatment available.

Overactive Bladder

An overactive bladder is a condition resulting from the sudden, involuntary contraction of the muscle in the wall of the bladder. It causes an uncontrollable and unstoppable urge to pass urine and the frequent need to urinate both during the daytime and night, even though the bladder may only contain a small amount of urine. It is sometimes referred to as small bladder syndrome.
 
The condition affects around 15% of adults with women affected more frequently than men. The incidence also increases as you get older.
 
There are medical and surgical treatment available.

Enlarged Prostate

Prostate enlargement is the most common condition affecting older men, as the prostate continues to grow as a man ages. While this is a natural part of ageing, when they reach the age of 50, having an enlarged prostate can put pressure on the base of the bladder and the urethra, resulting in difficulties in urinating, blood in the urine and pain in the area between the anus and scrotum. 
 
When left untreated, an enlarged prostate can lead to various complications including bladder stones and infections, kidney problems and a lower quality of life. There are a number of treatments available for an enlarged prostate and these vary depending on the severity of the symptoms experienced.

Haematuria (Blood in the Urine)

Haematuria is the presence of red blood cells in the urine. It can range from obvious bleeding to the microscopic detection of a few red blood cells in a routine urine sample.
 
When the urine is visibly coloured red by the amount of blood present, it is called macroscopic haematuria. Blood that is not visible to the naked eye, but that is apparent on microscopic examination is called microscopic haematuria. All patients with haematuria need further investigation including cystoscopy.

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