Frequent questions

 

 

When should the prostate be checked? 

Men are suggested to start checking their prostate between the ages of 40 and 45, especially if there is a family history of prostate cancer. 

 

What is cystitis?

It is a very frequent picture of bladder inflammation, and it occurs mostly in women, with a lot of burning or pain when urinating, and on some occasions it is accompanied by bleeding. It requires evaluation by a specialist to clarify the diagnosis (sometimes much more serious pathologies are called cystitis) and request the appropriate studies to establish the correct treatment. 

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What are the most frequent sexual problems in men?

Difficulty getting an erection, premature ejaculation, lack of desire. In the face of these symptoms, you should consult a specialist.

 

When faced with a tumor in the urinary system, should one go to the oncologist, the surgeon or the urologist? 

In the presence of a tumor in any part of the urinary tree (kidneys, ureters, bladder, prostate, urethra, and even male genitalia) the patient should go to the urologist. This will evaluate the condition, determine the necessary studies and then the treatments, which can be surgical only, or combined with medication and/or radiotherapy. In case of using these last alternatives, the urologist will inform the patient which specialist he should go to and together, the specialists will interact with the premise of jointly seeking improvement for the patient. 

 

How long does a consultation for annual prostate control take? 

At the time of the consultation, a questioning is carried out to evaluate the patient's urological history, the physical examination, and complementary studies are requested to evaluate the patient's prostate status at the time of the evaluation. In general, what is requested is a routine biochemical analysis that includes the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA), a renal and vesico-prostatic ultrasound, and a study called computerized uroflowmetry that serves to determine that the urinary flow is adequate. At UROLOGIABuenos Aires we carry out all the studies, except the biochemical markers that are made in a laboratory, at the same time of the consultation, if the patient so wishes, avoiding wasting time and obtaining the diagnosis of prostatic obstruction immediately. 

 

What do I do if I see blood in the urine?

In this situation, you should ALWAYS consult a urologist. 

 

What are the main symptoms of prostatic obstruction? 

The main symptoms are urinary, the patient noticing a loss in the force of the micturition stream, sometimes more noticeable in the first urination in the morning, getting up several times at night to urinate, when finishing urination they may have the sensation of "incomplete emptying of the bladder", and in more advanced cases incontinence. It may be the case that the patient presents an acute urinary retention, and in this case the patient is unable to urinate, causing bladder distension, great pain and discomfort. This condition can only be reversed by placing a urethral probe and then proceeding to study the origin of the obstructive condition. It is important to reassure the patient in these cases and manage the condition quickly. 

 

Is it always necessary to operate on the prostate when it causes difficulty urinating?

Not always. On some occasions, the obstructive symptoms can be reversed with oral medication. 

 

How is the prostate operated? 

At present there are numerous techniques to perform surgery when dealing with benign pathologies. The classic route is opening the abdomen, reaching the prostate, which is located below the pubic bones, and extracting the obstructing prostate tumor. This tumor in most cases is benign and is not cancer. The other surgical alternative is endoscopically, and here there are also numerous alternatives, such as resection, thermoselective vaporization, LASER vaporization, plasmakinetic vaporization with saline surgery, etc. There are also other endoscopic methods called without surgery that consist of placing substances in the affected organ, seeking to reduce its size and reduce symptoms, such as prostatic ablation with ethanol. 

 

What is prostate cancer? 

It is the most common cancer in man. On many occasions there are no symptoms. It is not the same as the benign tumor of the prostate, and sometimes the two diseases can exist together at the same time (the benign tumor that causes urinary obstruction, and prostate cancer). The diagnosis will be made by the urologist, who based on the history will decide to perform a transrectal biopsy. Once the same has been carried out and the disease confirmed, the appropriate treatment for each patient will be decided (surgery, radiotherapy, hormone therapy, etc.). 

 

Do stones form in the urinary tree? 

Stones (lithiasis) of different chemical composition can form in the urinary system, which may go unnoticed or present symptoms. These symptoms can be mild, or very manifest, such as renal colic that is very painful. Depending on the location of the stone, its size, quantity, and symptoms, the urologist will determine the course of action to follow. 

 

Can urinary incontinence in women be treated? 

Female urinary incontinence is a very common problem that women often hide out of shame or modesty, suffering in silence. Fortunately, every day we receive more consultations for this condition, even in young patients, thus being able to improve their problems. Incontinence can be stress, urge, or mixed. Each of them can have a different origin, and different treatments. In most cases the problem of incontinence has a solution or improvement.