PATIENT INFORMATION What is Urology? Urology is a surgical specialty which deals with diseases of the male and female urinary tract and the male reproductive organs. Within this realm, the Urologist has to deal with a wide range of health problems. In addition to "General Adult Urology" there are several subspecialized areas in Urology. Historic Perspective Historically, management of obstructive uropathy, especially with the aid of a urinary catheter and the cystoscope as a diagnostic tool, helped to establish Urology as a surgical specialty distinct from General Surgery. The management of prostate diseases is still a major part of urologic practice. Urologic practices have included both open surgery (including microsurgery) and endoscopic procedures. Medical pharmacologic management is also a prominent feature of certain urologic disorders. The Specialty of Urology has continuously adopted new technologies and "minimally invasive surgery" has now become the mainstay of some subspecialty areas, e.g., management of urinary stone disease. A Urologist deals with clinical problems relating to most of the subspecialty areas listed previously. Some Urologists choose to concentrate their clinical practice in one or two of the subspecialty areas. |