DEFINITION OF UROLOGY

Urology is the branch of medicine that takes care of the medical and surgical diseases of the adrenals, kidneys and urinary tract, which include the ureters, bladder and urethra, and the male reproductive system and genitalia (testes, epididymis, vas deferens, seminal vesicles, prostate and penis).. In men, the urinary system overlaps with the reproductive system, and in women the urinary tract opens into the vulva. In both sexes, the urinary and reproductive tracts are close together, and disorders of one often affect the other.

Urology combines management of medical (i.e., non-surgical) problems such as urinary infections, and surgical problems such as the correction of congenital abnormalities and the surgical management of stones and cancers. Such abnormalities within the genital region are called genitourinary disorders.

Urology was mentioned in the original Greek version of the Hippocratic Oath, wherein specific prohibitions are contained for physicans against cutting "persons labouring under the stone" and to leave it to those who are practioners of this work. Urologic diseases has been described as far back as the ancient Egyptians who did routine suprapubic cystostomies on patients with urinary retention for bladder stones or enlarged prostates.

Historically, the subject which clearly established the specialty of urology as being distinct from general surgery was the treatment of urinary tract obstruction. This treatment ranges from the correction of obstructing posterior urethral valves or ureteropelvic junction obstruction in the infant to the correction of bladder outlet obstruction from benign prostatic hyperplasia in the older male.
Although urology is classified as a surgical specialty, a knowledge of internal medicine, pediatrics, gynecology, and other specialties is required by the urologist because of the wide variety of clinical problems encountered. In recognition of the wide scope of urology, the American Urological Association has identified seven branches:
• Pediatric Urology
• Urologic Oncology (cancer)
• Renal Transplantation
• Male Infertility
• Calculi (urinary tract stones)
• Female Urology (urinary incontinence and pelvic outlet relaxation disorders)
• Neurourology (voiding disorders, urodynamic evaluation of patients and
erectile dysfunction or impotence)

A urologist is a “physician and surgeon” who is trained in this branch of surgery and is the expert in diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the adrenal glands, kidneys, ureters, and urinary bladder in MEN AND WOMEN OF ANY AGE as well as the male reproductive and genital tract.

COMMON PROBLEMS HANDLED BY THE UROLOGIST
KIDNEY, URETERS, BLADDER - stones, tumors, traumatic injury
PROSTATE – Benign prostate enlargement, infection, cancer
ADRENAL - Adrenal adenoma, pheochromocytoma
GENITALIA/TESTIS – Tumors, traumatic injury, hydrocoele, orchitis
MALE INFERTILITY – low sperm count, varicocoele
MALE SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION – Erectile dysfunction, Premature ejaculation
INFECTIONS - Sexually transmitted diseases, Urinary tract infection
PEDIATRIC PROBLEMS – undescended testis, hypospadias, hydrocoele, phimosis, vesicoureteral reflux, intersex, ureteropelvic junction obstruction