Urology

Urologists at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center diagnose and treat diseases of the male and female urinary tract systems, such as kidney stones, incontinence and bladder cancer, as well as diseases of the male reproductive organs, such as prostate cancer and testicular cancer. We use advanced treatment options, including both surgical and non-surgical interventions, to treat a variety of conditions.

Conditions Treated

Prostate Cancer

The prostate, a walnut-sized gland surrounding the male urethra, is responsible for producing the seminal fluid that transports sperm. More than 200,000 cases of prostate cancer are newly diagnosed in the United States each year with approximately 25,000 men dying from it, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Enlarged Prostate

Many men over the age of 50 encounter the common problems of an enlarged prostate. The condition can obstruct urine flow, which leads to difficulty with urination, getting up frequently during the night to urinate, infections or even kidney stones.

Bladder Cancer

Some of the risk factors for bladder cancer include increasing age, smoking or tobacco use, exposure to certain chemicals at work and a family history of bladder cancer. We treat bladder cancer through a standard transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) procedure, which involves using a loop, roller ball, or “bugbee” cautery to ablate and remove the tumor/cancer.

Kidney Stones

Kidney stones, tiny crystalline masses that separate from the urine, are one of the most common disorders of the urinary tract. In most cases, kidney stones pass out of the body unnoticed, but sometimes they can become too large and lodge in the urinary tract, causing extreme pain.

Kidney Cancer

Genetic conditions, such as von Hippel-Lindau disease, tuberous sclerosis or hereditary papillary renal cell carcinoma, as well as long-term dialysis and a high fat diet are risk factors for kidney cancer. Anyone can develop kidney cancer, although it usually affects people over age 50. 

For many patients, a kidney-sparing approach called robotic partial nephrectomy, is an option. This procedure uses the da Vinci® Surgical System to remove only the cancerous portion of the kidney, preserving as much of the unaffected kidney as possible.

Testicular Cancer

Occurring most often in younger men, testicular cancer is usually treatable and curable. Risk factors include undescended testicles, a family history of testicular cancer or Klinefelter’s syndrome.

Overactive Bladder

If you have a frequent or sudden urge to urinate, or you leak urine immediately after the urge to urinate, you may have an overactive bladder. 

Urinary Incontinence

Loss of bladder control is called urinary incontinence. You may experience anything from small leaks to uncontrollable wetting. It can happen to anyone, but it becomes more common with age.

Urinary Tract Infection

Symptoms of a urinary tract infection include pain or burning when urinating, fever, an urge to urinate often, and urine that smells bad or looks cloudy.

Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

Leaking urine while sneezing, exercising or laughing might be common, but it’s not normal. Our women's health physical therapy program can help you determine the cause of your bowel or bladder symptoms and offer solutions to help you get back to the activities you love.

Treatments

Sonablate® HIFU (High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound)

Utilizing high-intensity focused ultrasound, or HIFU, the Sonablate HIFU procedure targets and destroys diseased prostate tissue while leaving the surrounding, healthy tissue unharmed.

What are the Sonablate® HIFU Benefits?

• It's a minimally invasive and radiation-free procedure
• It targets only the diseased prostate tissue
• There is a lower chance of side effects compared to traditional surgery
• It can be performed as a same-day, outpatient procedure
• Patients enjoy shorter recovery times — getting back to normal activities within just days
• If found necessary, future treatments can be repeated

How does Sonablate® HIFU work?

High-intensity focused ultrasound, or “HIFU,” uses sound energy to generate heat that ablates (destroys) targeted tissue within the body. The concept is similar to using the sun and a magnifying glass to burn a hole in a leaf. Focused sound waves pass safely through prostate tissue until they reach the focal point, where they produce enough heat to destroy only that tissue.

Step 1: Plan

Based on MRI results and your individual needs, your physician will create a treatment plan for tissue that needs to be ablated (destroyed).

Step 2: Ablate

​ With pinpoint accuracy, Sonablate HIFU will ablate only the diseased tissue, leaving healthy tissue unharmed.

Step 3: Monitor and Adjust

Your physician will monitor the procedure in real-time, adjusting and customizing the procedure to address your individual condition.

To learn more about Sonablate HIFU visit http://www.sonablate.com

Robotic Urology Surgery

The da Vinci® Surgical System is being used by an increasing number of surgeons worldwide for urologic procedures. It is a minimally invasive approach using the latest in surgical and robotics technologies and is ideal for delicate urologic surgery. This includes prostatectomy, where the target site is not only tightly confined but also surrounded by nerves affecting urinary control and sexual function. Using the da Vinci System, your surgeon has a better tool to spare those delicate and critical surrounding nerves. This may improve your recovery experience and clinical outcomes with possible benefits, such as:

• Significantly less pain
• Less blood loss
• Fewer complications
• Less scarring
• A shorter hospital stay
• And a faster return to normal daily activities

Learn more about Robotic Surgery →

Fusion Biopsy

An MRI/ultrasound fusion biopsy is an effective way for physicians to better target the biopsy of the prostate. It begins with an MRI of the prostate to identify any suspicious areas. Then during the ultrasound-guided biopsy, the images from the MRI are combined with the images from the biopsy to help the physician more accurately differentiate abnormal cells from healthy tissue. This helps them better evaluate areas of the prostate that may appear suspicious for prostate cancer.

Individual results may vary. There are risks associated with any surgical procedure. Talk with your doctor about these risks to find out if robotic surgery and minimally invasive surgery are right for you.