Urologist

What is a urologist?

A urologist is a physician and surgeon who specializes in diagnosing and treating conditions that affect your urinary system. Your urinary system keeps your body healthy by filtering out wastes and toxins and sending them out of your body via urine (pee). Your urinary tract includes your:

• Kidneys
• Bladder
• Ureters
• Urethra

A urologist also treats conditions that affect your reproductive organs and adrenal glands. Your adrenal glands are on top of your kidneys. The male reproductive system and female reproductive system link closely to the urinary system. “Genitourinary” is a word that refers to the symptoms, conditions and treatments that affect both systems.

What does a urologist do?

A urologist can diagnose and treat many kinds of issues. Some urologists might practice without performing surgery. But all urologists receive training to be surgeons.

Some urologists concentrate on specific fields (subspecialties). These may include:

• Treating infants and children (pediatric urology)
• Cancer (urologic oncology)
• Kidney transplantation
• Sexual dysfunction conditions, like erectile dysfunction and vaginismus
• Infertility
• Restoring function and appearance of the genitourinary system (genitourinary reconstruction)
• Minimally invasive surgery, including robotic, laparoscopic and endoscopic surgeries

How does someone become a urologist?

To become a urologist in the U.S., you must first get a bachelor’s degree and then pass the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) to get into a medical school. Earning a medical degree usually takes about four years.

From there, you spend five to six years in a residency program. During this time, you’ll get training in both surgical and medical treatments of urologic diseases.

After that, if you want to specialize in a narrower field, you must complete a fellowship. A fellowship may last another one to three years.

After residency, you may choose to become board-certified by the American Board of Urology.

Then, in order to practice as a doctor, you must take and pass your state medical examination and meet any guidelines that the medical board issues.

What conditions do urologists treat?

Urologists treat common and rare conditions that can affect anyone. They can also treat conditions that affect only males or females. Some of these conditions include:

• Frequent urinary tract infections (UTIs)
• Inability to control when you pee (urinary incontinence)
• Blood in your pee (hematuria)
• Enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia)
• Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome

Urologists also treat other conditions, like:

• Bladder cancer
• Kidney cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Erectile dysfunction
• Kidney stones
• Bladder stones
• Pelvic organ prolapse
• Urinary tract problems that are present at birth (congenital urinary abnormalities)

When should I see a urologist?

You should schedule an appointment or get a referral to a urologist if you have:

• Changes in how you pee, including trouble getting started, a weak pee stream, pain, cloudy pee, blood in your pee, peeing more than usual (frequent urination) or uncontrollable urges to pee (urge incontinence)
• Trouble getting or keeping an erection firm enough for sexual intercourse
• Infertility
• A feeling that something is falling down in your vagina or heaviness in the area
• Pelvic pain

What can you expect during your visit to a urologist?

When you make an appointment with a urologist or when a healthcare provider refers you to a urologist, you should expect to discuss why you’re there. It’s a good idea to bring a list of questions or symptoms that relate to why you made the appointment. You should also expect to answer questions about your medical history and all medications and supplements you take.

A urologist will likely perform a physical examination. If you’re male, that may include a digital rectal exam. If you’re female, it may include a pelvic exam.

They may also recommend tests, including:

• Pee test (urinalysis)
• Blood tests
• Semen analysis
• Imaging tests, including an ultrasound or CT scan

What is the difference between a nephrologist and a urologist?

A nephrologist is a doctor who specializes only in the kidneys. It’s a subspecialty of internal medicine rather than urology. That means nephrologists aren’t surgeons. Nephrologists also manage conditions that happen elsewhere in the body and cause kidney problems, or those that occur because of kidney problems — like high blood pressure or Type 2 diabetes.