A urologist is a physician with additional training and experience in the male and female urinary systems and men’s sexual health. Your primary care physician may wish you to see a urologist for various concerns related to these areas of expertise.
Let’s talk about how this medical specialist evaluates and treats patients and where you can go to find the best urologist in Phoenix, AZ.
What Are the Qualifications of a Urologist?
A urologist possesses an MD from an accredited medical school and has completed three to four years of residency training at a hospital or large medical center. After residency, the doctor specializes in urology or diseases and conditions related to the male and female urinary and male reproductive systems.
Besides hands-on training in evaluations, medications, and surgical procedures, the prospective urologist sits for detailed licensing and certification exams.
Your primary care physician may wish you to see a urologist because of concerns about your kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder, urethra, or, in the case of men, prostate, testicles, penis, and scrotum. The urologist can assess for, diagnose and treat conditions such as:
- Repeated urinary tract infections, or UTIs
- Kidney stones or renal calculi
- Chronic kidney disease and renal failure
- Urinary incontinence
- Painful bladder syndrome
- Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer
- Low testosterone or low-T
- Erectile dysfunction or ED
- Peyronie’s disease or penile curvature
- Congenital malformations, such as urinary strictures and undescended testicles
Assessments and Treatments Performed by Urologists
Your urologist can order and perform a wide range of sophisticated tests to determine your diagnosis. These include:
- Urinalysis
- Blood work
- Imaging tests, such as ultrasonography, CT scans, and MRIs
- Cystoscopy, a visual examination of the interior of the bladder with a lighted camera
Once he or she arrives at a diagnosis, your urologist can prescribe medications and perform traditional or laser surgeries to correct your condition. Urologists also perform biopsies, kidney removal, and kidney transplants when advanced kidney disease and/or cancer strikes.
Urologists also do male sterilization procedures (vasectomy) and vasectomy reversal for qualified cases. Additionally, they can implant an inflatable penile prosthesis to overcome erectile dysfunction, surgically treat penile curvature (Peyronie’s disease), and more.
Your Urologist in Phoenix, AZ
If you have urinary tract or men’s health issues, please don’t wait for a proper evaluation and treatment by an experience urologist, Dr. Desiderio Avila, at Ironwood Urology. He is a board-certified physician by the American Board of Urology and is fellowship-trained in male reproductive medicine and microsurgery. He’ll review the findings from your PCP and continue with assessments specific to your genitourinary tract.
Here at Ironwood Urology, we are dedicated to providing compassionate and tailor-made care for your urinary and reproductive problems. From male infertility to prostate cancer, we have the means and the skills to help you get back to your healthy life. You can schedule an appointment with Dr. Avila by calling us at (480) 961-2323! You can also use our online appointment request form to schedule a consultation with the best urologist near you.