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Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy

Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is a minimally invasive technique for removing kidney stones that are too large to deal with from below....

Flexible Ureteroscopy and Lasering of Stones

The beauty of this procedure to treat kidney stones is that it is minimally invasive, and recovery is usually very rapid....

Rigid Ureteroscopy and Lasering of Ureteric Stone

Ureteroscopy can be performed to treat stones in the ureter (the drainpipe of the kidney), or in the kidney itself. Usually, rigid ureteroscopy is only performed for stones in the ureter. The main reason for this procedure is to remove a stone that continues to cause pain, or has not passed. Even though a stone may not be causing any pain, if it is left in place it can cause permanent damage to the kidney.It can also put you at risk of infection which can be very serious....

Prevention of Kidney Stones

A natural question for anyone who has had a kidney stone is “What can I do to prevent getting another one?” Unfortunately for most people however, there is no magic cure....

Kidney Stones

Kidney stones can cause a variety of problems. Most commonly, they pass from the kidney into the ureter (the small tube carrying urine from the kidney to the bladder), cause blockage, and cause severe pain (renal colic). Many ureteric stones will pass without intervention, but if pain persists or the stone doesn't pass, an operation is required. Left untreated, infection or kidney damage can occur. Stones in the kidney can also require treatment:While we observe some sma...

Bladder Neck Incision

This is a procedure carried out in an effort to improve urinary flow which in turn helps with other symptoms such as urinary frequency, urinary urgency, and getting up at night. It is performed in men with small prostates, as the prostate only needs to be cut to create an effect. Larger prostates require a "rebore" ie. prostate tissue is removed to create an open channel....

Radical Cystectomy

Radical Cysectomy is a procedure most commonly performed for high-risk (usually muscle-invasive), bladder cancer. On occasion, it may be carried out for non-malignant conditions such as refractory painful bladder syndrome, or a severely dysfunctional bladder....

Intravesical BCG Treatment

BCG placed into the bladder following the diagnosis of bladder cancer has been shown to decrease the rate of tumour recurrence but more importantly, it decreases the rate of tumour progression: ie. it can prevent superficial cancer from turning into a more serious invasive one. It is particularly useful for the treatment of CIS (carcinoma in situ). BCG is the same as the vaccination many of us got when we were children which was injected into the arm in order to prevent TB. It is actually t...

TURBT

TURBT is performed when a transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder is found at flexible cystoscopy or on ultrasound. ...

Flexible Cystoscopy

This is a procedure which allows the urologist to examine your bladder and urethra directly without the need for a general anaesthetic....

Optical Urethrotomy

This procedure is done to cut or incise scar tissue that has developed in your urethra. This occurs for several reasons:It can result from having a catheter or from a previous procedure involving a telescope down your urethra.It can be a result of pelvic trauma e.g. pelvic fracture.Often there is no apparent reason for the stricture developing. A urethral stricture will cause trouble with your flow. The flow is often poor, and you often develop urinary frequency and feel like you are n...

Urethroplasty

A urethral stricture is a narrowing of the calibre of the urethra. The stricture is made up of scar tissue. This commonly occurs in the bulbar urethra. It can occur after catheterisation, prostate or bladder surgery, or trauma. Some men have a congenital stricture, which develops early in life.A urethroplasty is a definitive operation to treat urethral stricture.As an initial treatment, many men will have an Optical Urethrotomy, a minor internal procedure using a camera to incise or cut the scar...

Urethral Stricture

A urethral stricture is scar tissue causing obstruction to urinary flow. It can be caused by having had a urethral catheter, urethral surgery, or pelvic trauma (such as a pelvic fracture), but often there is no obvious cause. Urethral stricture often results in having to go to the toilet more often as one is unable to empty one's bladder properly. At its most severe it can cause urinary infection and complete blockage of the urethra. A urethral stricture can be treated with an Opt...

Bladder Cancer

Bladder cancer is a tumour of the lining of the bladder. It usually presents with painless haematuria (blood in the urine). It can related to cigarette smoking, although there are plenty of people with the condition who have never smoked. Unlike some forms of Prostate Cancer, Bladder Cancer is not an inherited condition. Broadly speaking there are two categories of bladder cancer; superficial and invasive....

Haematuria

Haematuria is the presence of blood in the urine. This can be macroscopic (it is visible), or microscopic (can only be detected by a microscope). It can be associated with symptoms, which usually means it is due to an infection, or it can be painless.All painless haematuria, whether it be microscopic or macroscopic, needs to be investigated. This involves an ultrasound scan of your kidneys or bladder,  or a CT scan, as well as a flexible cystoscopy to examine the lining of your bl...

Bladder Pain

Interstitial Cystitis is a condition of bladder pain and bladder irritability. It is a relatively common problem, but there are good treatments available to control symptoms. Women referred to Bay Urology with interstitial cystitis will need some basic investigations to exclude other causes for pain. If these investigations are normal, then we go through a process with them to control symptoms. These involve: Identifying any possible triggers. Some women have dietary triggers such as caffeine, a...

Recurrent Urinary Infection

Recurrent urinary tract infections are a common problem and can be very troublesome for women. Most are well aware of ways to try and minimise the frequency of urinary tract infections.These include:Having a good fluid intakeAvoiding constipationEmptying your bladder after sexual intercourseHaving a healthy, balanced dietMost women know about these measures, and many still have recurrent UTIs despite meticulous care. Going to the doctor and getting a prescription for antibiotics can be stressful...

Bay Urology Blog

Thank you for visiting our blog where we keep all our articles on our procedures, our news and the conditions we treat.  If there is something specific you are looking for, have a look at the 'TAGS' which relate to the content in our articles. Or, you could type in the search bar what you are looking for and a number of articles should pop up related to your search. Blog HOME...

Bay Urology in Rotorua

We are now operating at Southern Cross Hospital, Rotorua in Otonga Road....

Kidney Stone Pain

Kidney stone pain (renal colic) causes severe flank pain which can radiate into the groin. While many people will have to go to the Emergency Department for treatment, a proportion of people can be managed in the community.Your GP can order a CT scan, the best test to diagnose ureteric stones. From here, Bay Urology can give advice about management.Many stones will pass spontaneously without needing any treatment. We provide a full stone management service, including investigations for causes of...

Artificial Urinary Sphincter

The AUS is a device used to control urinary leakage in males. It is generally used in those who have more severe degrees of urinary sphincter damage. It consists of an inflatable silicone cuff which encircles the urethra, a reservoir balloon, and a pump which resides in the scrotum. The seperate components are linked with silicone tubing. ...

ATOMS sling

Used to treat male urinary incontinence, this device consists of an anchored, adjustable, sub-urethral cushion. Able to treat more severe degrees of incontinence than the AdVance sling, it can also be utilised as an alternative to the artificial urinary sphincter. It allows normal voiding without the need to press a pump in the scrotum. It can be adjusted to allow a perfect balance between flow and continence and has some theoretical advantages over both the AdVance sling and Artificial sphinc...

Male Sling (AdVance sling)

The AdVance male sling is a very successful option in patients with lesser, but still troublesome, urinary leakage. ...

Slings for Female Incontinence

Stress incontinence is urinary leakage that occurs with exercise, coughing, sneezing or laughing. This type of leakage is very reliably treated with pubovaginal sling surgery with complete success rates approaching 90%....

Video Urodynamics

This procedure allows the urologist to determine how your bladder functions and is commonly performed to assess the possible causes of urinary leakage....