Urology

Our urology department at The Runnymede Hospital provides a comprehensive service for patients with symptoms of the urinary tract (both men and women), urological cancers and stones and patients who may have symptoms of the urinary tract as well as issues related to the male reproductive system.

The urinary tract consists of the bladder, kidneys, ureter (the tubes connecting your kidneys to your bladder), and urethra, as well as the prostate (in men).
When something goes wrong with this system, you may notice urinary symptoms including recurrent infections, blood in the urine, or bladder or testicular problems, any of which need investigating by one of our specialists.

Common reasons for seeing our urologists include:

• Urinary symptoms
• Difficulty urinating
• Reduced flow
• Urgency, rushing to the toilet
• Leakage/incontinence
• Frequently getting up at night to urinate
• Blood in urine
• Abnormal lump in genitalia
• Penile/scrotal issues
• Testicular pain
• Recurrent bladder/urinary tract infections (UTIs)
• Elevated PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen), shown in a recent blood test, indicating possibility of prostate cancer.

You may also be referred to us from other specialities, or by your GP if recent scans have shown a stone or mass in your kidneys/bladder.

Most patients seeking private care from our urologists have general symptoms which our consultants can help with. Each of our consultants at The Runnymede Hospital specialise in a particular area of urology, ensuring diagnosis and treatment for more complex issues are carried out by specialists in the field, offering you unparalleled care, no matter your condition.

Urinary problems for both men and women can be approached in a number of ways. Sometimes you can adapt your lifestyle to help your condition, through reducing your intake of tea and/or coffee or cutting out drinking excessive alcohol. This can be effective on its own for some patients with urinary symptoms.

Tablets are also an effective method of treating a variety of urinary symptoms, including for patients with recurrent UTIs or other infections (which may require antibiotics). This medication can be picked up from our dedicated on-site pharmacy, saving you an unnecessary trip elsewhere.

If other measures haven’t been successful in addressing your symptoms, or your symptoms have been particularly severe, surgical procedures may be your best option.

In men, certain operations can be considered to affect the size of the prostate, which may then allow you to urinate more easily. These are transurethral procedures (through the urethra) and performed cystoscopically, where a thin tube with a camera attached to it is passed along your urethra into the bladder. Surgical tools can be passed down the tube, allowing your surgeon to address some issues at the same time, such as removing small stones, or taking tissue samples (biopsy) for further analysis.

When you come to The Runnymede Hospital for your initial consultation, your consultant will begin by asking for a detailed medical history, including a description of your symptoms. They will want to know:

• What symptoms have you been experiencing?
• How long have you had these symptoms?
• Are you in pain? How would you describe the pain – is it a constant pain or intermittent?
• Have you previously had any treatment for this?

Your consultant may want to perform a clinical examination to assess your symptoms. This is followed by a variety of diagnostic tests, depending on the symptoms you present with.

Diagnostic tests for urological symptoms

A Flow Rate test is normally used, assessing the speed and volume of urine passed, as well as general bladder function. Slower than average flow rates may indicate a blockage of some sort, either in the bladder or the urethra, which will need further investigation, such as an ultrasound scan of your bladder.

Occasionally, blood tests will be arranged, as they can be used to check for signs of infection or inflammation which could have led to your symptoms.

A cystoscope may be used for further thorough investigation, checking for blockages or to assess an enlarged prostate gland. If a small stone is discovered, it can often be removed at the same time, or surgery planned for a later date if it is too big to do so.

Ultrasound scans of the prostate, bladder or kidney can also be used to confirm a suspected diagnosis.

Treatment plan

Once your consultant has made an exact diagnosis, you'll be presented with personalised treatment options, based on your condition and your goals for recovery. Treatments often begin conservatively with non-invasive measures, progressing towards surgery if they are unsuccessful in bringing you relief. Occasionally, however, surgery may be the most obvious beneficial choice, and your consultant can advise you as such. Ultimately, the choice to proceed with any treatment will be entirely yours, and your consultant will provide you with all the necessary details for you to make an informed decision.

The Runnymede Hospital is well set up for initial assessment and diagnosis, with rapid access to a wide array of diagnostic scans and tools, making it the perfect choice for patients based in Chertsey, Surrey, and further afield.

By choosing to have your treatment at The Runnymede Hospital, you’ll be able to take advantage of all these great benefits:

Assessments ASAP – Urinary symptoms may interfere with your daily routine and can be uncomfortable. If your quality of life has been affected, you’ll want to be seen by a consultant without any unnecessary delay. By seeing patients quickly, our consultants can get you started on the right course of treatment as soon as possible.

Personalised care  – We believe in a bespoke approach to treatment, tailoring each experience to our patients’ needs and whatever may be best for you. This is regularly reviewed, ensuring you get the necessary treatment at every stage of your patient journey.

A multi-disciplinary approach  – Our teams at The Runnymede Hospital work in tandem with each other to provide you with the best possible care from start to finish. Your Urology consultant will work closely with a dedicated team of radiographers, anaesthetists and nurses, to ensure you have support from a multi-disciplinary team of medical professionals every step of the way during your treatment.

Convenient appointments  – With appointments available at dedicated clinics Monday to Friday, you are sure to find an appointment slot that suits your needs and availability.

Park with ease  – We know that parking should be the least of your worries when attending hospital, so our car park has space to accommodate your needs.

If you have had any recurrent difficulties with your urinary tract, why not  book a consultation today? Our consultants can organise the necessary diagnostic tests to investigate your symptoms, and outline all treatment options for you promptly, arranging any further scans or surgery if required.