Urology

Urological Cancer Treatments

The most common urological cancers include kidney, bladder, prostate, and testicular cancers.

Kidney cancers often progress silently and typically present with symptoms such as bleeding in the urinary tract and flank pain. Nowadays, widespread use of ultrasound allows early detection of kidney masses, enabling timely treatment. After complete removal of the cancerous tissue, patients can return to a healthy life. Kidney cancers are treated with open surgery or laparoscopic (minimally invasive) methods.

Prostate cancers are among the most common cancers in men. Routine screenings after age 55 detect elevated PSA levels, prompting biopsy for diagnosis. This enables early detection of prostate cancer. Prostate cancer usually progresses slowly; patients can often be cured by surgery before metastasis occurs. After successful removal of the cancer, the chance of recurrence is very low.

Bladder cancer manifests as painless bleeding due to tumor-like growths resembling grape clusters inside the bladder. Initially, ultrasound and cystoscopy are performed to visualize the tumor mass. Using an endoscopic system, the tumor is scraped and removed through the urinary tract. In approximately 90% of cases, the bladder is completely cleared. With regular follow-ups every 3 to 6 months, the chances of complete recovery from bladder cancer are very high. Bladder cancer rarely spreads, but if it does, bladder removal may be necessary.

Testicular cancer mostly affects men between the ages of 30 and 40. Its most notable symptom is a painless swelling or mass in the testicle. The most common sign noticed by patients is feeling a lump during self-examination. Surgery to remove the affected testicle is performed promptly and followed by pathological examination. Some patients continue treatment with chemotherapy. Early diagnosis and treatment lead to successful outcomes.

Treatment of Sexual Dysfunction – Sexual Therapy

Sexuality is one of the most pleasurable feelings experienced by humans since the beginning of creation. Sexual feelings bring people closer, help them have children, and continue generations by living together. Sexuality should not be understood only as a reproductive function. It can begin with a glance, a smile, or a touch, and last for hours. Reducing the sexual life of two lovers, who look at each other with loving eyes and share affectionate words, to a 5-10 minute exercise in bed is a major cause of sexual problems today. A person who cannot understand their partner’s desires and feelings will neither satisfy their partner nor be happy themselves.

Because people do not fully understand how sexuality should be experienced in bed after puberty, what should be one of the most pleasurable feelings often causes pain and suffering. While extensive planning is made months in advance for a one-week vacation, couples planning to marry—the decision that affects the longest part of their lives—usually make no research or preparation. Sexual problems in the early years of marriage cause issues such as low sexual desire, painful intercourse, and vaginismus in women, and lack of pleasure, erectile dysfunction, and premature ejaculation in men. If these problems are not addressed, they often lead to severe marital conflicts, infidelity, and divorce. Therefore, learning and experiencing sexuality correctly, which forms the foundation of a strong and happy family, is essential before or at the beginning of marriage.

Sexual problems between two people are considered a mutual issue. Treatment methods focus not on one individual but on rebuilding sexuality between both partners. Sexual therapy successfully treats over 90% of sexual problems. It fosters a life where people wake up relaxed, start the day happily, act patiently and tolerantly, avoid stress and tension, do not fight in traffic, and solve problems through mutual communication.

Andrology

Varicocele is a condition characterized by the enlargement of veins around the testicles. Since testicles need to be 2-3 degrees cooler than normal body temperature, varicocele causes overheating, which damages their structure and softens them. Over time, sperm quality deteriorates, reducing male fertility and potentially leading to infertility. Varicocele, the most common cause of male infertility, is treated by microsurgical varicocelectomy, restoring fertility.

Penile Prosthesis (Happiness Rod): This device is implanted into the penis in cases where erection is weak or absent due to vascular diseases or diabetes mellitus, making sexual intercourse impossible. It consists of two long balloons that inflate before intercourse to create an erection. After ejaculation, the fluid is withdrawn, and the penis returns to its normal state.

For patients with short or thin penises or who do not experience sufficient pleasure, surgeries for penile lengthening and thickening are performed.

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)

The prostate, present in every male at birth, grows under the influence of testosterone hormone. Until around age 50, it usually causes no symptoms, but after that, it begins to press on the urinary tract, making urination difficult. By age 60, symptoms can significantly affect quality of life. Common complaints include difficulty urinating, weak or interrupted urine flow, frequent urination, and nighttime urination. Treatment usually starts with medication based on prostate size. Patients with larger prostates or those unresponsive to medication may require surgery—either endoscopic (TUR) or open surgery.

Urinary System Stone Treatment

Urinary stones cause different symptoms depending on their location and the affected organ.

Kidney Stones often develop silently and rarely cause flank pain. They may cause bleeding and infections in the urinary tract. Untreated kidney stones can grow, filling the kidney and impairing its function. Small stones are treated with ESWL (shock wave lithotripsy), while larger stones may require PNL (percutaneous nephrolithotomy) or open surgery.

Ureteral Stones form when stones smaller than 1 cm in the kidney move into the ureter (the urinary tube). These stones can block urine flow, causing swelling and pressure in the kidney, leading to severe colicky pain. Stones about 5-6 mm in diameter can pass spontaneously. Herbal remedies consisting of vitamin C, olive oil, vinegar, and rosehip juice, along with increased fluid intake, are recommended. Pain relief medications are often needed. If stones do not pass, URS (endoscopic ureterolithotripsy) is performed to break and remove them.

Small stones that fall into the bladder can be passed through the urinary tract easily. Larger stones that cannot be expelled may cause urinary tract infections and bleeding. Untreated stones can grow to the size of an egg. These stones are treated endoscopically by fragmentation and removal.

Paediatric Urology

Hypospadias (Incomplete Circumcision) is a common congenital anomaly in children where the foreskin does not fully cover the penis, and the urinary opening is located on the underside rather than the tip. The opening can be anywhere along the shaft, even near the testes. Surgery is recommended when the baby is 5-6 months old.

Undescended Testis is another common congenital problem in children. About 60-70% of newborn boys have normally descended testes, increasing to about 90% by six months. Testes that do not descend by six months require surgery to be placed properly. Surgery is recommended before the age of 1 due to risks of damage and cancer.

Retractile Testis (Shy Testis) occurs when testes are normally located but move upwards reflexively when touched, returning shortly after. This condition can sometimes develop into undescended testis. Hormonal treatment is usually effective.

Cancer Surgeries (Kidney, Bladder, Prostate, Testis)

Treatment of Prostate Enlargement (BPH) (TUR – Open Surgery)

Urinary Tract Stone Treatment (PNL – ESWL – URS – Open Surgery)

Andrology (Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction, Premature Ejaculation, Varicocele Surgery)

Treatment of Sexual Dysfunction (Sexual Therapy)

Paediatric Urology (Surgery for Undescended Testis and Hypospadias, VUR treatment, Hydrocele Surgery)

Female Urology (Urinary Incontinence Treatment, Cystocele Surgery – TOT – Sling Procedures)

Treatment of Urinary Tract Infections