Urology Partners and Your Health

Urology Partners strives to truly be your "partner" in the care and management of Urologic medical issues. We firmly believe that the partnership between physician and patient in their health issues leads to superior outcomes. Education is a critical part of maintaining that partnership. Education is mission of every Urology Partners employee from our office staff to nurses and diagnostic facilities to treatment facilities. Urology Partners strives to educate the patient to enhance and improve the health care of all our patients. Below you will find general information about Urologic Health issues, and additional information can be found utilizing the links listed on the right-hand margin.

Urology

Urology encompass many diseases and malfunctions of the kidney, adrenal, bladder, prostate, and external genitalia of men and women. Urologist treat both men and women with medical problems related to the urinary system. Urologist are both medical physicians and surgeons, diagnosing and providing treatment utilizing both medicines and surgery.

Common Urologic Conditions

UROLOGY PARTNERS KIDNEY

The kidney produces urine as a filtrate of blood. The kidney has an elaborate system of millions of drainage tracts that eventually create a single drainage tube called the ureter. A nephrologists treats disease that effect the kidney's function. The urologist treats diseases that effect drainage, malignant and non-malignant growths of the kidney, and kidney stones.

In the past, many diseases of the kidney required open surgery to remove stones, or the entire kidney was removed even for small cancers. Today, most kidney stones are treated with sound waves that penetrate the body to pulverized the stone without the need for incisions. Stones can also be removed from the inside of the urinary system using an endoscopic camera and operating scopes. Tiny lasers and "baskets"can also be used to remove stones. Small kidney cancers can be treated with freezing or high frequency probes to destroy the mass (cryoablation and radio frequency ablation) without large incisions, and also preserve the remaining kidney.

Urology Partners physicians are highly trained in the treatment of kidney stones without surgery, kidney-sparing cancer surgery and laparoscopic kidney surgery. Urology Partners also performs endoscopic treatment of the kidney by examining the kidney from inside the urinary tract without incisions. On site CT scanning also expedites the diagnosis of kidney diseases and kidney stones. Many of these advances were pioneered in Manatee County by the physicians of Urology Partners.

BLADDER

The bladder, in the simplest terms, stores urine and expels urine in a coordinated manner and with patient control. Common problems include: cancer of the bladder, "over-active" bladders, frequency and urgency, incontinence, hematuria (blood in the urine), urinary tract infections, painful voiding (interstitial cystitis). The bladder can also be effected by neurological problems such as Parkinson's and strokes, endometriosis and gynecological cancers and diseases of the spinal cord.

Management of bladder disease and malfunction, require a comprehensive history, bladder function testing (urodynamics) and examinations. Incontinence treatments can include drugs to alleviate urgent/frequent urination, and simple outpatient surgery to cure incontinence provoked by activities (stress incontinence). Bladder cancers can often be managed with outpatient endoscopic surgeries, and our in-house pathologist provides specialized urologic pathology to both grade and stage the disease accurately.

Complete hematuria work-ups can be accomplished entirely at Urology Partners facility. Our full service laboratory allows our patients to get confirmation about urinary tract infections the same day.

PROSTATE

The prostate is a solid doughnut-shaped male organ that encircles the urethra (voiding channel) at the base of the bladder. It main purpose is to excrete supportive fluid for sperm survival. Unfortunately, many diseases effect the prostate. Most commonly, the benign enlargement that occurs in older men that restrict the force of urination, increases frequency and urgency of urination and can lead to nocturia (frequently getting out of bed to urinate). Other common disease include prostate cancer that effects one out of eleven men, and rarely has any symptoms to warn the patient. In younger men prostate infections can occur (prostatitis) and prostate pain without infection (prostadynia).

Detection of prostate diseases involves examination, prostate ultrasound, and sometimes biopsy. Prostate biopsy is commonly done if the PSA test is elevated. This laboratory test measures a protein excreted only by the prostate, and if elevated, can be a first sign of prostate cancer. Prostate biopsies can be done in the office in a 5 minute session with minimal discomfort.

Treatment of BPH (benign enlargement) has made tremendous advancements in the last 5 years. Traditionally only surgery helped, now the majority of men find relief in medication, other can benefit from in-office "non surgical" prostate microwave treatments. Surgical treatment of the prostate now commonly uses the laser to remove tissue. This advanced surgical technique has dramatically reduced risks such as bleeding as compared to prior prostate surgery. It is often performed as an outpatient often without need for catheter.

Urology Partners provides all the above diagnostic and therapeutic options to the patient in a single setting. Even if you are currently being treated with medication, our office can provide timely advice regarding other long-term options to eliminate the need for medication.

INCONTINENCE

Both men and women experience uncontrolled lost of urine. In men advanced prostate disease is a common reason, as are other neurological diseases effecting the bladder. In women, childbirth, age and obesity contribute heavily to incontinence and incontinence effects women at younger ages than men. In the past little could be done about incontinence, but today the majority of incontinence is treatable.

Treatment of incontinence often uses medication especially in those with urgency and frequency of urination. Stress incontinence (loss of urine with activity) is surgically corrected with outpatient, 20 minute surgeries that use small incisions. These surgeries known as "sling" procedures utilize revolutionary artificial support tapes that compress and support the urethra to prevent leakage. Patients rarely require catheters beyond a few days and can resume normal activities in less than one week in most cases.

Botox can also be injected into the bladder wall to increase bladder size and alleviate incontinence associated with uncontrolled frequency. Bladder training can also improve incontinence by using biofeedback to retrain proper bladder sensation and control.

Urology partners perform more incontinence surgery in Manatee County than any other group. Our facility has state-of-the-art bladder urodynamics and a fully trained specialized nurse in urodynamics. Botox injections can be performed within the Urology Partners clinic, and our surgeons work closely with the gynecologists of Manatee County to coordinate combined vaginal and bladder surgeries.

INFECTIONS

Urinary tract infections is a common malady in women and less often in men. In women, the majority of infections are not accompanied with a significant anatomic abnormality. Rather, multiple contributing reason increase the risk of a urine infection such as: poor fluid intake, altered vaginal bacteria, adequate emptying of the bladder, sexual intercourse, altered bowel function and diabetes. Management of infections in women requires a comprehensive interview and accurate urine examination and culture. All the above are available at Urology Partners.

Urine infections in men are usually accompanied with a anatomic abnormality such as: prostate enlargement, kidney stone, inadequate emptying of the bladder and scar tissue of the urethra (water channel). Both examination and diagnostic testing is critical in men with urine infections.

HEMATURIA

Blood in the urine, either microscopic (not visible to the patient) or gross (visible) requires urologic evaluation. A comprehensive physical exam and CT imaging of the kidneys and direct visualization of the bladder (cystoscopy) need to be done. Some common reasons for blood in the urine include: infection, stone, scar tissue in the urinary system, cancer of the kidney or cancer of the lining of the urinary system. Urology Partners can complete the evaluation of hematuria within a single facility, under the supervision of your doctor.

ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION

Erections in men are a complex interaction with emotional, neurologic and vascular systems. Malfunction of any of the above can lead to inadequate erections. Medications often can alleviate vascular obstruction as the source of impotence. Often vascular disease has progressed too far for these medications to work. Physical examinations, laboratory testing often identifies other issues such as low testosterone. Options for treatment include medication, penile injections, vacuum pumps and inflatable penile implants. All the above are available at Urology Partners.