Medicine has a bad habit of using ten letters where three would do. Below are the terms you are most likely to run into, in plain language. If something you were told is not here, ask me and I will add it.
A
Absorbent products. Pads and garments, disposable or reusable, worn to manage urine leakage. They range from thin liners to full briefs. They manage the problem rather than fix it, which is worth saying out loud, because a great many people use them for years without ever being evaluated for something treatable.
Active surveillance. Monitoring a low risk cancer closely instead of treating it right away, using periodic blood tests, imaging and repeat biopsy, with treatment held in reserve if the cancer shows signs of progressing. The intent is still to cure if cure becomes necessary. This is now standard for most low risk prostate cancer, and it is the most important change I have seen in my career.
Alpha blocker. A medication that relaxes the muscle fibers of the prostate and bladder neck so urine flows more easily. Tamsulosin and alfuzosin are the common ones. They work within days rather than months, and the main trade-offs are dizziness and dry or backward ejaculation.
Androgen. The family of hormones that build and maintain male characteristics, with testosterone the best known. Women make androgens too, and need them.
Andrology. The branch of urology dealing with male hormones, fertility and sexual function. It is one of several endocrine areas urology covers, alongside the adrenal gland, the parathyroid and the pituitary.
Anemia. Not enough red blood cells or hemoglobin to carry oxygen well. It shows up in urology because blood loss, kidney disease and some cancers can cause it.
Aquablation. A treatment for an enlarged prostate that uses a robotically guided water jet to remove tissue, with the surgeon mapping the target with ultrasound first. No heat is used on the tissue being removed.
Aromatase. The enzyme that converts androgens into estrogens: testosterone into estradiol, and androstenedione into estrone. It lives heavily in fat tissue, which is one reason weight gain shifts a man's hormone balance toward estrogen.
Artificial urinary sphincter. An implanted device for more difficult incontinence. A cuff around the urethra holds it closed, and a pump placed in the scrotum or labia lets the patient open it to urinate. It is a real operation, and for the right patient it is life changing.
Assisted reproductive technology (ART). Fertility treatments that involve handling sperm and eggs directly, including retrieving sperm surgically when there is none in the ejaculate, and injecting a single sperm into an egg.
Asymptomatic bacteriuria. Bacteria growing in the urine of someone with no urinary symptoms. It is not the same thing as an infection, and outside pregnancy and a few procedures it usually should not be treated. Treating the paper instead of the patient drives a great deal of unnecessary antibiotic use.
Autologous. Coming from your own body. An autologous sling, for example, is made from your own tissue rather than a manufactured material.
Azoospermia. No sperm in the ejaculate. It can come from a blockage, from low production, or from hormonal signals that shut production down, and the distinction matters because several causes are fixable.
B
BCG. A weakened bacterium instilled into the bladder to provoke an immune attack on early bladder cancer. It remains one of the principal treatments for bladder cancer that has not invaded the muscle.
Behavioral techniques. Retraining methods for the bladder, including timed voiding, urge suppression and pelvic floor work. They sound unglamorous and they work better than most people expect.
Benign. Not cancer.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Enlargement of the prostate with age, driven by hormonal changes. The prostate wraps around the urethra, so growth squeezes the channel and produces a weak stream, frequency, urgency and getting up at night. It is not cancer and it does not turn into cancer.
Bilateral. Affecting both sides, or both of a pair of organs.
Biofeedback. Using sensors to show you what your pelvic floor muscles are actually doing, so you can learn to control muscles you cannot easily feel.
Biofilm. A protective layer bacteria build around themselves, often on tissue or on an implanted device. Bacteria inside a biofilm are much harder for antibiotics to reach, which is one reason some urinary infections keep coming back after treatment that looked successful.
Bladder. The hollow muscular organ that stores urine until you empty it.
Bladder Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA). Botox injected into the bladder muscle through a scope to quiet an overactive bladder that has not responded to medication. It works well, lasts several months, and carries a small risk of emptying poorly enough to need a catheter for a while.
Bladder cancer. One of the more common cancers, and one hardly anyone talks about. Smoking is the single largest risk factor and accounts for a large share of cases. The usual first sign is blood in the urine, which is why blood in the urine always deserves a look.
Bladder outlet obstruction. A blockage where the bladder empties into the urethra. An enlarged prostate is the most common cause in men, but scar tissue and a tight bladder neck can do the same thing, which is why the distinction changes the treatment.
Bladder training. Learning to resist the urge to urinate and to go on a schedule rather than on demand, gradually stretching the interval.
Body composition. How much of your weight is muscle, fat, bone and water. It tells you far more about your health than the number on the scale, and it is the reason two people at the same weight can be in completely different shape.
Brachytherapy. Radiation delivered from inside the prostate, either as low dose rate permanent radioactive seeds or as high dose rate treatment given through temporary catheters.
Bulkamid. A soft hydrogel injected into the wall of the urethra to treat stress incontinence in women, adding bulk so the urethra closes properly. No mesh, no incision. See also Periurethral bulking injections.
C
Catheter. A tube passed into the body to drain fluid. In urology it usually means a tube passed into the bladder.
Catheterization. Placing a catheter. Some patients do this themselves several times a day, which sounds worse than it is and beats the alternative of a bladder that never empties.
Chancre. The painless ulcer that appears as the first sign of syphilis, usually two to three weeks after exposure. It heals on its own, which is exactly why it gets ignored.
Chemolysis. Dissolving stones with medication. It works for uric acid stones, which can often be dissolved by making the urine less acidic. It does not work for calcium stones, which are the majority.
Creatinine. A waste product filtered out by the kidneys. A blood creatinine level is one of the standard ways to estimate how well your kidneys are working.
Cryotherapy. Freezing tissue to kill it, using probes placed into the prostate. Now used mainly as focal therapy, treating one area rather than the whole gland.
CT urogram. A CT scan with contrast timed to light up the kidneys, ureters and bladder. It is the standard imaging test in the workup of blood in the urine.
Cyst. A fluid filled sac. Most are harmless and are found by accident on a scan done for another reason.
Cystectomy. Surgical removal of the bladder.
Cystocele. The bladder bulging down into the vagina when the support beneath it gives way.
Cystoscopy. Looking inside the urethra and bladder with a thin scope. It is done in the office, it takes a few minutes, and it is the only way to actually see what is going on in there.
D
D-mannose. A simple sugar taken as a supplement for urinary infections. The idea is that it keeps E. coli from sticking to the bladder wall. Some people have success with it, particularly for E. coli infections.
Diabetes mellitus. A condition in which the body cannot properly store or use glucose. It matters in urology because it affects nerve function, bladder emptying, erections, infection risk and kidney health.
Dihydrotestosterone (DHT). The more potent hormone made from testosterone by 5-alpha-reductase. It drives prostate growth and male pattern hair loss, which is why blocking it helps both.
Diuretic. A medication that makes you produce more urine. Used for blood pressure and fluid overload, and a common reason people find themselves up at night.
E
Epididymitis. Inflammation of the epididymis, the coiled tube behind the testicle, usually from infection. It causes a painful, swollen scrotum that comes on over days, and it is treated with antibiotics and time.
Erectile dysfunction (ED). Ongoing difficulty getting or keeping an erection firm enough for sex. It is common, it is treatable, and it is frequently an early warning sign of blood vessel disease elsewhere in the body. That last part is why it deserves a real evaluation rather than just a prescription.
Estradiol. The main and most potent estrogen of the reproductive years, made largely by the ovaries. It supports bone, brain, blood vessels, skin and the genitourinary tract, which is why losing it at menopause is felt in so many systems.
Estrogen. A hormone central to female reproductive function, produced mainly by the ovaries. Estrogen receptors are present in the bladder, urethra and vaginal tissue, which is why falling estrogen after menopause causes urinary symptoms and not just reproductive ones. Men produce estrogen too, in smaller amounts, and it matters for bone and brain health.
External beam radiation therapy. Radiation aimed at the prostate from outside the body. Modern delivery uses markers placed in the gland and daily imaging to aim accurately. Schedules have shortened considerably, and some regimens now finish in about five treatments.
Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL). Breaking a kidney stone with focused sound waves from outside the body, so the fragments can pass on their own. Still useful for the right stone in the right place, though scopes and lasers have taken over much of what it used to do.
F
5-alpha-reductase inhibitor. Finasteride and dutasteride. They block the conversion of testosterone into DHT, shrinking the prostate over months and slowing male pattern hair loss. Sexual side effects occur in a minority of men.
Focal therapy. Treating only the part of the prostate that contains cancer rather than the whole gland. MRI and targeted biopsy have made it possible to better localize significant cancer and select some men for focal treatment, though MRI can still miss disease and the long-term evidence is still maturing.
Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). A pituitary signal that tells the ovaries to ripen an egg and the testicles to make sperm. A high FSH means the pituitary is shouting at a gland that has stopped answering, which is why it rises in menopause.
Free testosterone. The fraction of testosterone circulating unbound and available to your tissues. Most testosterone in the blood is bound up and not usable. This is why a normal total testosterone can sit alongside real symptoms, and why measuring only the total number misses people.
G
Genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM). The collection of changes that follow the loss of estrogen after menopause: vaginal dryness, thinning and irritation, pain with sex, urinary urgency and frequency, and more urinary infections. It used to be called vaginal atrophy, which described a fraction of the problem and made it sound cosmetic. It is very treatable and badly under treated.
GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist. A medication that activates two gut hormone receptors rather than one. Tirzepatide is the example, and the dual action generally produces more weight loss than GLP-1 action alone.
Gleason score and Grade Group. Two ways of describing how aggressive a prostate cancer looks. Gleason scores run 6 to 10, which confused people badly, because a 6 sounds middling on a scale of 10 when it is actually the lowest grade there is. Grade Groups run 1 to 5 and fix that. Grade Group 1 is Gleason 6 and behaves like the low risk disease it is.
GLP-1 receptor agonist. A class of medication that mimics a gut hormone regulating appetite, blood sugar and how quickly the stomach empties. Used for diabetes and for weight management.
GreenLight laser (photoselective vaporization of the prostate). A laser treatment that vaporizes obstructing prostate tissue through a scope. Bleeding is minimal, which makes it a good fit for men on blood thinners.
H
Hematuria. Blood in the urine. Gross hematuria is visible and always deserves evaluation. Microscopic hematuria is found on a urine test, and its workup is risk-stratified by age, smoking history, and the degree and persistence of the blood, along with other cancer risks. Plenty of causes are benign, but this is also the most common way bladder cancer announces itself.
HIFU. High intensity focused ultrasound, which uses focused sound waves to heat and destroy tissue. Used in the prostate, mainly as focal therapy.
HoLEP. Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate. A laser is used to separate the obstructing inner portion of an enlarged prostate away from its outer shell and remove it. It handles very large prostates well and the results are durable.
Hormone therapy, in menopause. Replacing estrogen, with progesterone added when the uterus is present, to treat menopausal symptoms. It can be systemic, meaning it treats the whole body, or local, meaning vaginal estrogen aimed at genital and urinary tissue. These are different treatments with different risk profiles and they get conflated constantly.
Hormone therapy, in prostate cancer. Treatment that lowers testosterone or blocks its receptor, because prostate cancer grows in response to testosterone. Testosterone is itself an androgen, meaning a male sex hormone.
Hydrocele. A painless collection of fluid around the testicle causing scrotal swelling. Common and usually harmless, though it always deserves an exam to confirm that is what it is.
Hydronephrosis. A kidney swollen with backed-up urine. It is a finding, not a diagnosis: something downstream, a stone, a stricture, a mass, is blocking drainage, and the job is to find out what.
Hyperplasia. An increase in the number of normal cells in an organ. This is what the H in BPH stands for, and it is why BPH is not cancer.
Hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD). Low sexual desire that persists, distresses the woman who has it, and is not explained by a medication, a relationship problem or another condition. It is the diagnosis behind most of the evidence for testosterone therapy in women.
Hypogonadism. The medical term for gonads that underproduce: testosterone in men, estrogen in women. Primary hypogonadism means the gland itself has failed. Secondary means the signal from the brain has gone quiet, and the distinction guides treatment.
I
Incontinence. See urinary incontinence.
Insulin resistance. When your cells stop responding well to insulin, so the body produces more of it to get the same job done. It drives weight gain around the middle, raises blood sugar over time and often precedes type 2 diabetes by years.
Interstitial cystitis, also called bladder pain syndrome. Ongoing bladder pain, pressure and urinary frequency without infection to explain it. The cause is not fully understood: abnormal bladder lining, nerve signaling, inflammation and pelvic floor dysfunction may all contribute. It is frustrating to treat and frequently dismissed, and patients with it deserve better than they usually get.
Intravesical. Delivered directly into the bladder, usually through a catheter, rather than swallowed or given by vein. Intravesical antibiotics put the drug where the infection is and keep very little of it in the rest of the body, which makes them useful for resistant or persistent urinary infections that oral antibiotics have not cleared.
Intrinsic sphincter deficiency (ISD). Weakness of the urethral sphincter itself, so it does not seal properly regardless of support beneath it.
iTind. A springlike device placed temporarily in the prostatic urethra, where it reshapes the channel over about a week and then comes out. One of the minimally invasive BPH options that preserves ejaculation.
K
Kegel exercises. Also called pelvic muscle exercises. Contracting and releasing the pelvic floor muscles to build strength and control. Most people do them wrong at first, which is what biofeedback is for.
Kidney. One of a pair of organs at the back of the abdomen that filter blood to make urine. They also regulate blood pressure, red blood cell production and bone metabolism.
Kidney cancer. A cancer that often produces no symptoms at all and is found incidentally on imaging done for something else. When symptoms do occur they may include blood in the urine, flank pain or a mass.
Kidney stone. A hard mass formed when minerals in the urine crystallize and clump together. Most are calcium based. They can cause severe pain when they move into the ureter, and they recur often enough that prevention deserves more attention than it gets.
L
Laparoscopy. Surgery done through small incisions using a camera and long instruments rather than one large opening.
Laser prostatectomy. Using laser energy to remove or destroy obstructing prostate tissue. The main versions are HoLEP, which removes the tissue, and photoselective vaporization, which vaporizes it.
Lithotripsy. Breaking up stones, whether with shock waves from outside the body or with a laser passed up through a scope.
Low testosterone. Testosterone below the normal range, often alongside fatigue, low libido, loss of muscle, poor concentration and mood changes. It travels with obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep apnea. The diagnosis is symptoms plus consistently low levels, usually confirmed with two separate morning measurements. Free testosterone and SHBG earn their place in selected patients, especially when the total is borderline or SHBG is likely abnormal.
Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). The umbrella term for frequency, urgency, weak stream, hesitancy, dribbling and nighttime urination. You will see it constantly in anything written about the prostate.
Luteinizing hormone (LH). The pituitary signal that triggers ovulation in women and tells the testicles to make testosterone in men. Like FSH, a high LH points to a gland that is failing, and a low one to a signal problem upstream.
Lutetium-177 PSMA. A treatment that attaches a radioactive isotope to a molecule seeking out PSMA on prostate cancer cells, delivering radiation to the cancer wherever it is. Used in advanced disease after other treatments.
M
Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT). The current name for hormone replacement after menopause: estrogen, with progesterone when appropriate, and sometimes testosterone. It is the same treatment people mean by HRT.
Menopause. The permanent end of menstrual periods, confirmed after twelve months without one. It typically happens between ages 45 and 55, averaging around 51.
Metastasis. Spread of a cancer from where it started to somewhere else in the body.
Mixed incontinence. Having both stress and urge incontinence at the same time, which is more common than having either one alone.
MRI fusion biopsy. A prostate biopsy in which MRI images are overlaid onto live ultrasound so the needle can be aimed at the suspicious area rather than sampling the gland blindly.
N
Nephrectomy. Removal of a kidney. Partial nephrectomy removes only the tumor and spares the rest, which is preferred whenever it is feasible.
Nephrostomy tube. A drainage tube placed through the back directly into the kidney when urine cannot get down the ureter. It is a bridge that protects the kidney until the blockage is fixed.
Nocturia. Waking at night to urinate. One of the most common urologic complaints, and one of the most misattributed: the prostate gets the blame while sleep apnea, fluid timing, medications and the bladder itself often share it.
O
Orchiectomy. Surgical removal of one or both testicles.
Orchitis. Inflammation of a testicle.
Overactive bladder. The bladder contracting when it should be filling quietly, producing sudden urgency with or without leakage, frequency, and getting up at night.
Overflow incontinence. Constant or frequent dribbling from a bladder that cannot empty, either because something is blocking the outlet or because the bladder muscle is not working.
P
PDE5 inhibitor. The class of medication used for erectile dysfunction, which improves blood flow into the penis. Sildenafil and tadalafil are the familiar examples.
Pelvic floor physical therapy. Working with a therapist trained in the pelvic floor muscles. Underused, and often the single most effective thing available for pelvic pain, incontinence and some voiding problems.
Pelvic organ prolapse. The umbrella term for pelvic organs dropping from their normal position into the vagina, including cystocele, rectocele and uterine prolapse. Common after childbirth, and treatable.
Percutaneous nephrolithotomy. Removing a large kidney stone through a small opening in the back, using a sheath to break the stone up and pull the pieces out. This is the approach for stones too big to manage any other way.
Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS). Stimulating a nerve near the ankle that connects to the nerves controlling the bladder, given as a series of weekly office sessions for overactive bladder. It remains a current option in the overactive bladder guidelines.
Perimenopause. The transition leading up to menopause, when ovarian hormones fluctuate and menstrual patterns often begin to change. Symptoms can start while periods still look nearly normal, well before the cycle becomes obviously irregular. It can last several years, and it is where a great many women are told nothing is wrong because their labs came back normal.
Periurethral bulking injections. The general term for injecting material into the wall of the urethra so it seals more completely, used for stress incontinence. Older agents were short lived, which is where the treatment's mixed reputation comes from. The modern hydrogel agents, Bulkamid among them, hold up considerably better and can be repeated.
Peyronie disease. Scar tissue in the wall of the penis that causes curvature, pain or shortening with erections. It is common, distressing and treatable, and no man should be told to simply live with it.
PI-RADS. The 1-to-5 score radiologists assign to areas on a prostate MRI, grading how suspicious each looks for significant cancer. Higher numbers mean higher suspicion, and 4s and 5s usually earn a targeted biopsy.
Post-vasectomy semen analysis. The test that confirms a vasectomy worked. You are not sterile until it does. Contraception continues until then, without exception.
Post-void residual (PVR). How much urine is left in the bladder right after you urinate. Measured by ultrasound. A simple test that answers a surprising number of questions.
Postmenopause. The years after the final period. Symptoms can persist well into them, and the genitourinary changes tend to progress rather than fade.
Premature ejaculation. Finishing sooner than a man wants, with lost control and real distress. It is the most common male sexual complaint at every age, and a treatable one.
Primary ovarian insufficiency. Loss of normal ovarian function before age 40. It is not simply early menopause: function can flicker on and off, and because the hormones are lost decades early, replacing them matters even more.
Proanthocyanidins (PACs). The compounds in cranberry thought to keep bacteria from adhering to the bladder wall. Content varies enormously between products, which is why the standardized PAC amount matters more than the word cranberry on the label.
Progesterone (and progestogens). The hormone of the second half of the cycle, made after ovulation. In hormone therapy it protects the uterine lining from unopposed estrogen, and it deepens sleep and calms the nervous system in its own right. Progestogen is the umbrella term covering progesterone and its synthetic cousins.
Prostate. A walnut sized gland surrounding part of the urethra in men. It produces part of the seminal fluid.
Prostate cancer. One of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in men, and one of the leading causes of cancer death in men. Roughly one man in eight will be diagnosed in his lifetime. Risk rises with age, and it is higher for African American men and for men with a family history. Early disease usually causes no symptoms at all, which is the entire argument for screening.
Prostate MRI (multiparametric MRI). Detailed imaging that maps suspicious areas of the prostate before or instead of a biopsy, and guides fusion biopsy targeting. A powerful tool, though not a perfect one: it can miss significant cancer.
Prostatectomy. Removal of the prostate. Radical prostatectomy removes the whole gland for cancer and is now performed robotically in nearly all cases. Simple prostatectomy removes only obstructing tissue for BPH and leaves the gland behind.
Prostatic artery embolization (PAE). Treating an enlarged prostate by blocking its blood supply through a catheter, causing the gland to shrink. Performed by an interventional radiologist.
Prostatitis. Inflammation of the prostate. Some cases are bacterial infections. Many are not, and chronic pelvic pain of this kind is one of the more difficult problems in urology.
PSA. Prostate specific antigen, a protein made by prostate cells and measured in the blood. It rises with age, with prostate enlargement, with inflammation and with cancer. It is prostate specific but not cancer specific, which is the source of most of the argument about it.
PSA density. The PSA divided by the prostate volume. Useful because larger prostates make more PSA. A PSA of 6 in a very large gland is less worrying than a PSA of 4 in a small one.
PSMA PET. A scan using a tracer that binds to PSMA on prostate cancer cells, showing where cancer is present. Considerably more sensitive than the bone scans and CT it has largely replaced.
Pyelonephritis. A kidney infection, usually bacterial. More serious than a bladder infection and often accompanied by fever, flank pain and feeling truly unwell.
Pyuria. White blood cells in the urine, usually indicating inflammation or infection.
R
Rectocele. The rectum bulging into the vagina when the tissue between them weakens.
Renal mass. The phrase a patient hears when imaging finds a growth on the kidney before anyone knows what it is. Many small ones are benign, some are cancers that are highly curable at that size, and the next step is characterizing it, not panicking.
Rezum. A treatment for an enlarged prostate that uses water vapor injected into the tissue to shrink it. Done in the office.
S
Sacral neuromodulation. An implanted device, roughly pacemaker sized, that stimulates the nerves controlling bladder function. Used for urgency, urge incontinence, some retention and some bowel problems. InterStim is the brand most people have heard of.
Sarcopenia. Age related loss of muscle mass and strength. It is one of the better predictors of how well someone will function in later life, and it is largely preventable with resistance training and adequate protein.
Semen analysis. Laboratory examination of a semen sample, looking at sperm count, movement and shape. The starting point for evaluating male fertility.
SHBG. Sex hormone binding globulin, a blood protein that binds testosterone strongly. Changes in SHBG can make total testosterone look higher or lower relative to the amount of free testosterone actually available to your tissues.
Sling procedures. Placing a supportive sling beneath the urethra or bladder neck to treat stress incontinence. Slings can be made from your own tissue, donor tissue or synthetic mesh.
Sphincter. A ring of muscle that controls an opening. In urology, the muscle that keeps urine in until you decide otherwise.
Stress urinary incontinence. Leaking with coughing, laughing, sneezing, lifting or exercise, when pressure in the abdomen rises above what the urethra can hold back.
T
Testicular cancer. The most common cancer in young men, typically appearing between the mid teens and mid thirties. It usually presents as a painless lump, firmness or heaviness in a testicle. It is also among the most curable cancers, which is why finding it early matters so much.
Testosterone. The main male sex hormone, produced mostly in the testicles, driving male sexual characteristics, muscle and bone. Women make it too, and in a young healthy woman it is her most prevalent sex hormone, at four to ten times the level of her estradiol. It contributes to desire, arousal, mood and muscle in women, and the strongest treatment evidence is for postmenopausal women with low desire that bothers them.
Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). Treating low testosterone with testosterone in some form: injection, gel, patch or pellet. It requires monitoring, and it suppresses sperm production, so anyone who may want children should have that conversation before starting rather than after.
Transient incontinence. Temporary leakage caused by something identifiable and reversible, such as an infection, a medication or constipation.
Transperineal prostate biopsy. Sampling the prostate through the skin behind the scrotum instead of through the rectum. Infection risk drops substantially, and it is becoming the preferred route in many practices.
TURP (transurethral resection of the prostate). The classic operation for an enlarged prostate: a channel is carved through the obstructing tissue with a scope, no incision. It remains the benchmark every newer BPH procedure is measured against. Backward ejaculation afterward is common.
24-hour urine collection. Collecting all urine over a full day to measure what is actually in it. It is the foundation of kidney stone prevention, because it can identify the modifiable cause driving your stones, and it earns its keep most in recurrent and high-risk stone formers. Most stone formers never get one, and that is a missed opportunity to stop the next stone.
U
Ureteral stent. A soft plastic tube running from kidney to bladder to keep the ureter open, usually after stone surgery or to relieve a blockage. Stents are temporary, frequently annoying, and must come out on schedule: a forgotten stent is a serious problem.
Ureteroscopy. Passing a small flexible scope up through the urethra and bladder into the ureter and kidney, usually to break up and remove a stone with a laser. No incision. Along with the holmium laser, this changed stone treatment more than anything else in my career.
Urethra. The tube carrying urine from the bladder out of the body.
Urge urinary incontinence. Leaking that arrives with a sudden, non-negotiable urge to go. It is the leak of overactive bladder, a different problem from stress incontinence, with different treatments.
Urgency. The sudden compelling need to urinate that is difficult to postpone.
Urinary incontinence. Involuntary loss of urine. The main types are stress, urge, overflow and mixed. They are different problems with different treatments, which is why sorting out which one you have is the whole first step.
Urinary retention. Being unable to empty the bladder. The acute form is painful and is an emergency. The chronic form creeps in quietly, stretching the bladder over months, and is often found only after damage has started.
Urinary tract infection (UTI). An infection in the urinary tract, most often in the bladder, usually caused by bacteria. Typical symptoms are burning, urgency, frequency and cloudy or strong smelling urine. Recurrent means two or more in six months or three or more in a year, and recurrent UTI is a different problem from a single infection.
Urine culture. Growing bacteria from a urine sample to identify the organism and which antibiotics kill it. It works well for straightforward infections. In recurrent or complicated cases it can miss organisms that newer molecular tests find.
Urodynamics. A set of tests measuring how the bladder fills, stores and empties, and how the sphincter behaves while it does. Used when the picture is unclear and guessing would be expensive.
UroLift. A treatment for an enlarged prostate that places small permanent implants to hold the obstructing tissue open, without cutting or heating it. Also called prostatic urethral lift.
Urothelial carcinoma. The modern name for cancer arising from the lining of the bladder, the ureters and the kidney collecting system. Older reports call it transitional cell carcinoma. It is the same disease.
V
Vaginal estrogen. Estrogen applied locally as a cream, tablet or ring. Very little enters the bloodstream. It is one of the most effective and most under used treatments for genitourinary syndrome of menopause, and it is one of the best evidence based ways to prevent recurrent urinary infections in postmenopausal women.
Varicocele. Enlarged veins above the testicle, classically described as feeling like a bag of worms. Usually harmless, but it is the most common correctable cause of male infertility, and repair can improve sperm quality.
Vasectomy. An office procedure taking under fifteen minutes under local anesthesia, in which the vas deferens on each side is divided and sealed so sperm no longer reach the ejaculate. It should be considered permanent. It does not affect testosterone, erections or the sensation of ejaculation.
Vasectomy reversal. Microsurgical reconnection of the vas deferens, done under an operating microscope with very fine sutures. It is a much bigger operation than the vasectomy was, and success is not guaranteed.
Vasomotor symptoms. The medical term for hot flashes and night sweats. They can run for a decade, they wreck sleep, and estrogen remains the most effective treatment for them.
Voiding dysfunction. A general term for the bladder not filling or emptying the way it should. It covers a lot of ground, from an overactive bladder to one that will not empty at all, and sorting out which is which is the point of the evaluation.
Historical terms
These appear in older material and in some patients' records. They are largely no longer used.
Open nephrolithotomy. Removing kidney stones through a large open incision. Almost never performed now, having been replaced by percutaneous and endoscopic approaches.
Prostatic stent. A wire device expanded inside the urethra to push prostate tissue aside. Essentially abandoned.
Transurethral microwave thermotherapy (TUMT). Heating prostate tissue with microwave energy delivered by catheter. Rarely performed today, having been displaced by the newer minimally invasive options.