A urologist is the right contact for everyone who suffers from problems or diseases of the urinary system. The urologist is also the right specialist on this subject for men who suffer from sexual problems.
What is a urologist?
Of the urologist is a specialist who primarily deals with diseases of the bladder, kidney, ureter and urethra. His area of expertise also includes the detection and treatment of diseases of the male genitals, which include the penis, spermatic ducts, testes and epididymis, seminal vesicles and prostate.
Urologists who deal primarily with diseases of the male genital organs or male fertility are called andrologists. If you want to become a urologist, you must first complete a medical degree. This is followed by further training to become a specialist in urology, which lasts five years and allows the doctor to call himself a urologist.
Treatments
A urologist covers a relatively wide range of treatments. For example, he carries out preliminary examinations for cancer of the prostate or testicles. The kidneys, bladder and ureter system are also checked by a urologist for possible malignant changes.
In addition, the treatment spectrum of a urologist also includes examinations for diseases such as inflammation of the bladder, kidney or prostate. A branch of urology is pediatric urology, in which the urologist deals with typical problems of childhood and adolescence.
These include, for example, undescended testicles, foreskin constriction or long-term wetting. When a urologist specializes in andrology, he is primarily concerned with hormone, fertility and erection problems in men, as well as problems with the desire to have children.
The urologist is familiar with and treats, for example, premature ejaculation, fertility problems, erectile dysfunction and hormone-related diseases. A urologist is not only responsible for men, but of course also for women in the event of kidney and bladder problems. A urologist is also the right contact for incontinence problems.
Diagnosis & examination methods
Does a patient come to you? Urologist in treatment, the methods of making a diagnosis are primarily based on the patient's symptoms. A wide range of different methods is available to the urologist. He can identify inflammation parameters and tumor markers through a laboratory examination of the urine.
Changes such as urinary or kidney stones also leave signs in the urine. A laboratory blood test can be helpful for many diagnoses - the blood count provides information about tumor markers, signs of inflammation or functional disorders of the organs. An important tool that the urologist uses is the ultrasound examination. With their help, he can look at the structures of the kidneys, bladder, testicles and penis and identify any abnormalities.
A palpation examination is also one of the methods used by a urologist to detect changes in the urogenital area. A palpation examination is essential, especially when examining the prostate.
X-rays give the urologist information about possible kidney problems. In the case of fertility problems, the urologist will perform a hormonal analysis of the blood and a spermogram. This means that he checks the composition of the ejaculate for sperm count, quantity, consistency and other parameters. The results of the examinations are then discussed in a detailed consultation with the urologist.
What should the patient pay attention to?
Who one Urologist wants or has to visit, who as a statutory insured patient needs a referral from the family doctor, who can usually recommend a suitable colleague.
In addition, the experience of acquaintances can be helpful in finding out which urologist has a good reputation. Ultimately, however, it is essential to get to know the urologist and to check whether a relationship of trust can develop between doctor and patient.
For men who have fertility problems or sexual disorders, it is advisable to see an andrologist who has his main area of responsibility in this area. Some urologists also work directly with a fertility clinic. The equipment in the practice, for example an X-ray machine or the possibility of a spermiogram, differs depending on the focus of the urologist.
