A cerebrovascular accident (CVA), more commonly called a stroke, can affect much more than movement and speech. It can also disrupt the communication between the brain and bladder, leading to urgency, urinary leakage, difficulty emptying the bladder or a combination of these problems. Bladder difficulties are common after stroke, particularly during the early stages of […]
I am sorry that I have had to cancel some of your procedures and appointments Providing urological care to patients in Bundaberg and the surrounding region has been important to me, and I have greatly valued the relationships I have developed with my patients, their families, local doctors, nurses and hospital staff. That is why […]
Parkinson’s disease is best known for tremor, stiffness and slowed movement, but it can also affect many automatic body functions: including bladder control. Urinary symptoms may disturb sleep, restrict social activities and increase the risk of falls when someone rushes to the toilet. The reassuring message is that bladder symptoms can usually be improved. The […]
Multiple sclerosis (MS) affects the brain and spinal cord, the same nervous system pathways that coordinate bladder storage, bladder emptying and urinary sphincter control. As a result, bladder symptoms are common and may change as MS changes. The important message is that “an MS bladder” is not one single condition. Some people develop an overactive […]
Pregnancy changes the urinary tract. The kidneys filter more blood, the hormone progesterone relaxes the ureters, and the enlarging uterus can compress them. As a result, the kidney drainage system and ureters often become dilated, a finding called hydronephrosis or hydroureter. In most women this is a normal, temporary effect of pregnancy. However, hydronephrosis can […]
Vesico-ureteric reflux, also called vesicoureteral reflux or VUR, occurs when urine flows backwards from the bladder into one or both ureters and sometimes as far as the kidneys. Normally, each ureter enters the bladder through a short tunnel in the bladder wall. As the bladder fills and contracts, this tunnel is compressed, acting like a […]
Spina bifida is a congenital condition in which the spine and spinal cord do not develop normally. Although it is often associated with reduced leg movement or sensation, it can also affect the nerves controlling the bladder, urethral sphincter and bowel. This is called neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction, or more simply a neurogenic bladder. […]
A sling procedure is designed to treat stress urinary incontinence, leakage with coughing, laughing, exercising or lifting. It supports the urethra so that it remains closed when abdominal pressure rises. A sling does not directly treat an overactive bladder. Some women notice that pre-existing urgency improves after surgery, while others continue to experience urgency or […]
Men with urinary urgency, frequency and nocturia are often presumed to have an overactive bladder. Those with a slow stream, hesitancy or incomplete emptying may be presumed to have an enlarged prostate. However, when storage and voiding symptoms occur together, the explanation may be more complicated. Some men have true prostate or bladder-neck obstruction. Others […]
More than a logo The Happy Prostate is not simply a practice logo. It began as an original artwork that I painted myself, and it now hangs in my study at home. Its cheerful expression reflects what I hope to achieve when caring for men with prostate and urinary problems: less worry, better understanding, improved […]