General Practitioners

• Primary Care
  Hematuria (blood in the urine), either microscopic or gross (blood only we can see or blood you can see), is a red flag that should not be ignored. It is the most common early finding of urinary cancer and renal disease. At Regional Urology we see many patients referred by their primary care doctors for evaluation of hematuria.
• Colonoscopy
  If a hereditary mutation is identified, that individual’s cancer screening may be adjusted in comparison to the average person such as colonoscopy every year instead of every ten years, younger starting age for mammograms, male breast exams, etc. In certain cases, this identification can lead to preventative medications and even surgeries such as elective hysterectomy or mastectomy.
• Erectile Dysfunction
• Urinary Incontinence
  Male urinary incontinence is usually caused by a damaged urinary sphincter, which is the circular muscle that helps control the flow of urine out of the bladder

Gynecologists

• Female Infertility
  Clomid, is a medication that is commonly used to treat both male and female infertility. It is an anti-estrogen that works to increase a man’s natural testosterone by increasing brain signals (LH) to the testicles. Unlike other forms of testosterone replacement, it does not cause infertility or testicular atrophy (shrinkage). While it is not FDA approved for use in men, it has been utilized to treat hypogonadism for many years and is considered very safe.
• Pregnancy
• Labor and Delivery
  Pelvic organ prolapse refers to a laxity in the female pelvic floor musculature that results in prolapse (or “dropping”) of the bladder, uterus, intestines, rectum, or a combination of these organs into the vagina. Pelvic organ prolapse may occur in up to 50% of women who have undergone childbirth, however, it may or may not be associated with urinary, bowel, or sexual symptoms.

Internists

• Bladder Cancer
  “Bladder Cancer affects over 70,000 Americans annually. It tends to be more common in men, but the incidence in women is increasing. Smoking is the biggest risk factor for bladder cancer. Quitting smoking provides many health benefits including decreasing the risk of bladder cancer.
• Urology
  The Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport – Regional Urology team provides high-quality specialty care with a strong commitment to research and innovation. With multiple locations, we serve the North Louisiana community with a team of physicians, extenders, nurses, medical assistants and supportive staff. We have the most combined experience of urology care in the area.
• Kidney Cancer
  Kidney cancer, also referred to as renal cell carcinoma (RCC for short), affects approximately 60,000 Americans each year. Symptoms of kidney cancer can include an abdominal mass, abdominal pain, and/or blood in the urine. However, they are often found incidentally during imaging for other issues, and cause no symptoms at all.
• Kidney Stones
  Some people are genetically prone to kidney stone formation. A majority of patients, however, form stones due to consistent low urine volume (dehydration) or dietary factors. If the urine is overly concentrated, crystals can easily form in the urine and make kidney stones. To avoid forming new stones, patients should drink enough fluid to produce 2 liters of urine per day. The most common dietary contributors are a high salt or high oxalate diet. This typically results in too much calcium being excreted in the urine. This is not related to how much calcium is consumed, but rather how well the intestines and kidneys handle calcium. It is important to take in a normal amount of calcium in the diet. In addition to limiting sodium intake, it is important to limit oxalate rich foods. This list can be extensive, but the most common offenders are tea, dark sodas, tree nuts, and leafy greens. Additionally, diets high in animal protein put patients at risk for stone formation. Bowel conditions and being overweight are risk factors as well. Finally, some medications may increase your risk of stone formation.
• Interstitial Cystitis
• Urinary Tract Infection
  The urinary tract includes your kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra (in men the prostatic urethra). An infection involving any part of this system is known as a UTI. Infections in the “lower” tract – bladder and urethra – are the most common, especially in women. These are annoying and discomforting, but usually not serious unless the infection spreads to the kidneys.
• Prostate Cancer
  Erectile Dysfunction (ED) is another name for impotence. ED is defined as the persistent inability to maintain an erection that is either firm enough, or lasts long enough, to have sexual intercourse. This common problem is often caused by physical conditions such as prostate cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

Endocrinologist

• Diabetes Care

Radiologist

• Ultrasound
  Ultrasound (US) uses sound waves to create 3-dimensional images of various organs including the kidneys and bladder. It is similar to sonar. Ultrasounds do not expose patients to radiation, which is a benefit. However, it does not provide as clear an image as some other tests (such as CT). It is a painless and safe test.
• MRI
  Kidney tumors are evaluated with advanced imaging which may include a CT scan and/or a MRI. Rarely do kidney tumors need to be biopsied, unless results will change management options.
• Radiology
  The Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a diagnostic tool used for non-invasive imaging and will be instrumental in providing a more accurate and timely diagnoses of diseases and ailments ranging from prostate cancer to ruptured tendons in the foot. The MRI installed at Regional Urology is a 3.0T, which is the most powerful MRI in the Ark-La-Tex. A 3.0T has a greater signal-to-noise ratio, which generates a higher quality image than its 1.5T counterparts. Clearer images lead to more accurate diagnoses which in turn saves more lives. The MRI is fully accredited by the American College of Radiology (ACR).  We are accepting outside referral scans and are currently able to image abdomen, ankle, brain, foot, pelvis, prostate, shoulder, knee, neck (C spine) lumbar spine, and thoracic spine.
• X-Rays
• Computed Tomography
  Evaluation of hematuria usually involves a CT scan with contrast and a cystoscopy. A cystoscopy is an endoscopic procedure done to visually evaluate the inside to the bladder. It is performed with local numbing medicine in our procedure hall and is a quick (generally less than 2 minutes) procedure.
• Chemotherapy
  Calculating an exact risk of infertility following cancer treatment is very complicated and difficult to accurately predict. This is because risk to fertility depends on the type of treatment, duration of treatment, and drug dosage. Certain chemotherapy regimens are higher risk than others and the same applies to radiation and surgery.
• Radiation Therapy
  Radiation therapy uses energy rays to target and kill cancer cells. These rays work by destroying the DNA in cells it targets which leads to cell death. Unfortunately, rays can also affect healthy, non-cancerous cells and this can lead to side effects from radiation treatment. Therefore, it is extremely important to be able to precisely target cancer cells while minimizing collateral damage to the nearby healthy cells.

Surgeons

• Vasectomy
  Vasectomy is minor surgery to block sperm from reaching the semen that is ejaculated from the penis. Semen still exists, but it has no sperm in it. After a vasectomy the testes still make sperm, but they are soaked up by the body. Each year, more than 500,000 men in the U.S. choose vasectomy for birth control. A vasectomy prevents pregnancy better than any other method of birth control, except abstinence. (Source: UrologyCareFoundation)
• Robotic Surgery
  There are many potential benefits to robotic surgery including decreased pain and blood loss as well as a shorter hospital stay.
• Hysterectomy

Plastic Surgeons

• Botox
  Overactive Bladder ( often referred to as “OAB”) is a common urinary condition that affects millions of men and women. The symptoms of Overactive Bladder include urinary frequency (having to go too often), urgency (the sudden need to go quickly), and urge incontinence (intense need to urinate, followed by the involuntary loss of urine). These symptoms can range from mild to very severe and often result in patients changing their lifestyles to accommodate their bladder. Other urinary conditions can mimic Overactive Bladder, so it is important to rule out different causes before establishing a diagnosis. Treatment of Overactive Bladder is very successful for the majority of patients and can include behavior modification, medications, and/or pelvic floor exercises. For more severe Overactive Bladder, there are several minimally invasive treatments, including Interstim and Botox, that are quite effective.
• Laparoscopic Surgery
  Robotic assisted surgery is a form of laparoscopic surgery performed with the use of small instruments placed through tiny incisions. Using the robot, these arms are controlled by the surgeon from a computer console next to the patient.

Dermatologists

• Lesions
  How is the procedure performed and what to expect? A MRI-fusion biopsy starts with a MRI of the prostate. Following the MRI, a radiologist will review the images and very specifically mark concerning lesions (orange ball; see above image). We perform the biopsies in our surgery center under sedation for your comfort. Prior to the procedure you will be given antibiotics to decrease the risk of infection. After you are asleep, a rectal ultrasound is used to map (blue/green mesh; see above image) the prostate by taking 3-D images. A computer system then fuses these images with the MRI images that were previously obtained. Now using the ultrasound, concerning lesions can be specifically targeted and biopsied (red lines; see image above). Following the procedure, it is common to see some blood in the urine, stool, and semen. Results will be back around 1 week after the biopsy and you can discuss them with your Urologist.