ablation: Removal of diseased or unwanted tissue from the body by surgery or other means.
anesthesia: Loss of sensation in any part of the body induced by a numbing or paralyzing agent. Often used during surgery to put a person to sleep.
antibiotic: Drug that kills bacteria or prevents them from multiplying.
bacteria: Single-celled microorganisms that can exist independently (free-living) or dependently upon another organism for life (parasite). They can cause infection and are usually treated with antibiotics.
benign: Not malignant; not cancerous.
benign prostatic hyperplasia: Also known as BPH. An enlarged prostate not caused by cancer. BPH can cause problems with urination because the prostate squeezes the urethra at the opening of the bladder.
bladder: The balloon-shaped pouch of thin, flexible muscle in which urine is temporarily stored before being discharged through the urethra.
bladder diverticula: Outpouchings of the bladder wall.
bladder neck: Area of thickened muscle fiber where the bladder joins the urethra. Acting on signals from the brain, bladder neck muscles can either tighten to hold urine in the bladder or relax to allow urine out and into the urethra.
BPH: Also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia. An enlarged prostate not caused by cancer. BPH can cause problems with urination because the prostate squeezes the urethra at the opening of the bladder.
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cancer: An abnormal growth that can invade nearby structures and spread to other parts of the body and may be a threat to life.
catheter: A thin tube that is inserted through the urethra into the bladder to allow urine to drain or for performance of a procedure or test, such as insertion of a substance during a bladder X-ray.
catheterization: Insertion of a narrow tube through the urethra or through the front of the abdominal wall into the bladder to allow urine drainage.
clean intermittent catheterization: Also known as CIC. Periodic insertion of a clean catheter into the urethra after washing your hands to drain the urine from the bladder.
continence: The ability to control the timing of urination or a bowel movement.
cyst: An abnormal sac containing gas, fluid or a semisolid material. Cysts may form in kidneys or other parts of the body.
cystoscope: A narrow, tube-like instrument fitted with lenses and a light passed through the urethra to look inside the bladder. The procedure is called cystoscopy (sis-TAW-skuh-pee).
cystoscopy: Also known as cystourethroscopy. An examination with a narrow, flexible tube-like instrument passed through the urethra to examine the bladder and urinary tract for structural abnormalities or obstructions, such as tumors or stones.
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digital rectal examination: Also known as DRE. Insertion of a gloved, lubricated finger into the rectum to feel the prostate and check for any abnormalities.
diverticula: Plural of diverticulum. A pouch or sac in the lining of the mucous membrane of an organ.
DRE: Also known as digital rectal examination. Insertion of a gloved, lubricated finger into the rectum to feel the prostate and check for any abnormalities.
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ejaculation: Release of semen from the penis during sexual climax.
ejaculatory: Involved in or related to the structure involved in the release of semen from the penis during orgasm.
ejaculatory fluid: Semen.
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gland: A mass of cells or an organ that removes substances from the bloodstream and excretes them or secretes them back into the blood with a specific physiological purpose.
high blood pressure: Medical term is hypertension.
hyperplasia: Excessive growth of normal cells of an organ.
immune system: The body's system for protecting itself from viruses and bacteria or any "foreign" substances.
impotence: Also called erectile dysfunction or ED. The inability to get or maintain an erection for sexual activity.
incontinence: Loss of bladder or bowel control; the accidental loss of urine or feces.
infection: A condition resulting from the presence of bacteria or other microorganisms.
intermittent catheterization: Periodic insertion of a narrow tube through the urethra or through the front of the abdominal wall into the bladder to allow urine drainage.
intravenous: Also referred to as IV. Existing or occurring inside a vein.
intravenous pyelogram: Also referred to as IVP, intravenous urography or excretory urogram. An X-ray of the urinary tract. A dye is injected to make urine visible on the X-ray and show any blockage in the urinary tract.
invasive: Having or showing a tendency to spread from the point of origin to adjacent tissue, as some cancers do. Involving cutting or puncturing the skin or inserting instruments into the body.
ions: Electrically charged atoms.
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kidney: One of two bean-shaped organs that filter wastes from the blood and discharge these waste products in urine. The kidneys are located near the middle of the back. The kidneys send urine to the bladder through tubes called ureters.
kidney stone: A stone that develops from crystals that form in urine and build up on the inner surfaces of the kidney, in the renal pelvis or in the ureters. (Also see nephrolithiasis.)
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laser: Device that utilizes the ability of certain substances to absorb electromagnetic energy and re-radiates as a highly focused beam of synchronized single wave-length radiation.
laser coagulation: The coagulation (clotting) of tissue using a laser. A coagulation laser produces light in the visible green wavelength that is selectively absorbed by hemoglobin, the pigment in red blood cells, in order to seal off bleeding blood vessels.
microwave thermotherapy: Use of controlled heat for treatment.
neurogenic bladder: Also called neuropathic bladder. Loss of bladder control caused by damage to the nerves controlling the bladder.
penis: The male organ used for urination and sex.
probe: Small device for measuring and testing.
prostate: In men, a walnut-shaped gland that surrounds the urethra at the neck of the bladder. The prostate supplies fluid that goes into semen.
prostatectomy: Surgical procedure for the partial or complete removal of the prostate.
prostatic: Pertaining to the prostate.
prostatic stent: A wire device that expands after surgical placement thus pushing prostate tissue away allowing for easier urination.
PSA: Also referred to as prostate-specific antigen. A protein made only by the prostate gland. High levels of PSA in the blood may be a sign of prostate cancer.
PSA test: Also referred to as prostate-specific antigen test. A blood test used to help detect prostate cancer.
pubic bone: Also referred to as the pubis. Lower front of the hip bone.
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rectal: Relating to, involving or in the rectum.
rectal ultrasound: A diagnostic test that uses very high frequency sound waves to produce an image of the rectum.
rectum: The lower part of the large intestine, ending in the anal opening.
resectoscope: A tube-shaped instrument used by the urologist to scoop a tumor from the bladder lining.
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semen: Also known as seminal fluid or ejaculate fluid. Thick, whitish fluid produced by glands of the male reproductive system, that carries the sperm (reproductive cells) through the penis during ejaculation.
stage: Classification of the progress of a disease.
stent: With regard to treating ureteral stones, a tube inserted through the urethra and bladder and into the ureter. Stents are used to aid treatment in various ways, such as preventing stone fragments from blocking the flow of urine.
stone: Small hard mass of mineral material formed in an organ.
stricture: Abnormal narrowing of a body passage.
suprapubic: An area of the central lower abdomen above the bony pelvis and overlying the bladder.
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tissue: Group of cells in an organism that are similar in form and function.
topical: Describes medication applied directly to the surface of the part of the body being treated.
transurethral: Through the urethra. Several transurethral procedures are used for treatment of BPH. (See TUIP, TUMT, TUNA or TURP.)
transurethral microwave thermotherapy: Also referred to as TUMT. Destroys excess prostate tissue interfering with the exit of urine from the body by using a probe in the urethra to deliver microwaves. Treatment for BPH.
TUMT: Also referred to as transurethral microwave thermotherapy. Destroys excess prostate tissue interfering with the exit of urine from the body by using a probe in the urethra to deliver microwaves. Treatment for BPH.
TUNA: Also referred to as transurethral needle ablation. Destroys excess prostate tissue with electromagnetically generated heat by using a needle-like device in the urethra. Treatment for BPH.
TURP: Also referred to as transurethral resection of the prostate. Surgical procedure where a lighted tube with an attached electrical loop is inserted through the urethra into the prostate. Serves as a diagnostic and therapeutic role in the treatment of bladder cancer.
ultrasound: Also referred to as a sonogram. A technique that bounces painless sound waves off organs to create an image of their structure to detect abnormalities.
urethra: In males, this narrow tube carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body and also serves as the channel through which semen is ejaculated. Extends from the bladder to the tip of the penis. In females, this short, narrow tube carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body.
urethral: Relating to the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder to outside the body.
urinary frequency: Urination eight or more times a day.
urinary incontinence: Involuntary loss of urine associated with a sudden strong urge to urinate.
urinary incontinence: Inability to control urination.
urinary retention: Failure to empty the bladder totally.
urinary tract: The system that takes wastes from the blood and carries them out of the body in the form of urine. Passageway from the kidneys to the ureters, bladder and urethra.
urinary tract infection: Also referred to as UTI. An illness caused by harmful bacteria, viruses or yeast growing in the urinary tract.
urine: Liquid waste product filtered from the blood by the kidneys, stored in the bladder and expelled from the body through the urethra by the act of urinating (voiding). About 96 percent of which is water and the rest waste products.
urine flow study: A test in which the patient urinates into a special device that measures how quickly the urine is flowing.
urologist: A doctor who specializes in diseases of the male and female urinary systems and the male reproductive system.
vas: Also referred to as vas deferens. The cordlike structure that carries sperm from the testicle to the urethra.
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