Office phone No.: +886-2-2312-3456 ext. 262135
Fax No.: +886-2-2321-9145
Email: 114652@ntuh.gov.tw
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About us
Most people are curious about the department of urology, but have little knowledge about the services we offer. This is why there is so much misunderstanding. Some of them, for example, have the mistaken impression that we treat only sexually transmitted diseases. Some would dub our department “the department of peeing” simply because a urine test (urinalysis) is the first medical step we require our patients to undergo. The others, on the other hand, may jokingly call us “cock-watchers,” or even laud us as “sewer engineers” for our efforts in the dilation or drainage of blocked urinary tracts. Far from precise, these nicknames describe merely a small part of what we do. To debunk the myth, the following lists the services offered by urologists.
As urologists, we care both male and female patients with any urinary symptoms, as well as male patients with any reproductive system disorders. It is therefore a misconception that only men can visit the department of urology. (After all, women also have a urinary system, don’t they?) The urinary system consists of the kidneys, the ureters, the bladder, and the urethra (from up to down in terms of organ location). As to the organs of the male reproductive system, they include the testicles, the epididymis, the vas deferens, the seminal vesicles, the prostate gland, the penis and the scrotum. Female patients with reproductive disorders, for their part, should consult gynecologists. Other conditions treated by urologists also include adrenal gland disorders and retroperitoneal tumors.
In addition, some may wonder the difference between urologists and nephrologists. Generally speaking, urology is a subspecialty of surgery, and nephrology falls under the field of internal medicine. While urologists specialize in urinary tract examinations and operations in combination with medical interventions, nephrologists are experts on treatments of uremia and electrolyte imbalance.
Medical services
The Department of Urology in National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) consists of 15 specialists, all of whom have their own specialized areas. Our divisions of specialty include: General urology; Female urology; Renal transplantation; Uro-oncology (Urological oncology); Urolithiasis (stone in the urinary tract); Pediatric urology; Andrology (male infertility and sexual dysfunction), and Voiding dysfunction.
For patients who need urological interventions, our specialists conduct well-rounded pre-operative assessments, as well as offer comprehensive peri- and post-operative patient management/care.
| Division of Specialty | Content |
|---|---|
| Female urology | Urinary incontinence, and bladder neck disorder |
| Renal transplantation | Pre-transplant assessments, post-transplant care, the use of immunosuppressants and related medical assessments |
| Uro-oncology | Treatments of tumors in the adrenaline gland, kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra in both male and female patients, and tumors in the prostate gland, testicles, and penis in male patients |
| Urolithiasis | Management of renal, ureteral, vesicle and urethral stones |
| Pediatric urology | Urinary/reproductive problems in children patients, e.g., hypospadias (the urinary opening not located on the head of the penis), cryptorchidism (absence of one or both testes), phimosis (tight foreskin) and renal tumor |
| Male infertility | Any problems about male fertility, e.g., azoospermia (no sperm count), low sperm motility, oligospermia (low sperm count), and artificial fertilization |
| Sexual dysfunction | Impotence, painful erection, and penile curvature |
| Voiding dysfunction | Neuromuscular voiding disorders, e.g., spinal trauma, diabetic neuropathy, Parkinson’s Disease (PD), and spina bifida (a backbone abnormality in the newborns) |