Circumcision – The surgical removal of the foreskin (prepuce) from the penis. After the anesthesia is administered, a special clamp or plastic ring is attached to the penis and the foreskin removed. Circumcision is similar for older boys and adults but the procedure may need to be done under general anesthesia with additional steps, such as suturing to prevent excessive bleeding.

Cystoscopy – A procedure which allows the physician to look at the inside of the bladder and the urethra using a thin, lighted instrument called a cystoscope. The cystoscope has lenses like a telescope or microscope. The cystoscope is inserted into the urethra and slowly advanced into the bladder. The lenses let the physician focus on the inner surfaces of the urinary tract and bladder.

Cystoscopy with Botox® – During cystoscopy, Botox® is injected through the scope at several sites into the muscle of the bladder to calm bladder spasms that may cause overactive bladder or incontinence. This takes about 30 minutes and can be done under local anesthesia.

Cystoscopy with Stents – Using the cystoscope, a stent (a small, short tube of flexible plastic) is placed within the ureter. This alleviates obstruction or helps small stone pieces pass without blocking urine flow from the kidneys to the bladder.

Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL) – A procedure using shock waves to break kidney stones into small pieces. An outpatient procedure, it is usually performed under general anesthesia and takes about an hour. First, the kidney stone is located by x-rays. Then, the physician directs high-intensity sound waves at the stone. The goal is to break the stone into tiny fragments (about the size of grains of sand) so they may then flush out of the body with the urine. The major advantage of ESWL is that it doesn’t require incisions.

Hydrocele Repair – Surgery to correct the swelling of the scrotum as a result of a hydrocele, which is the backup of fluid around a testicle. With the patient under anesthesia, the surgeon makes a small surgical cut and then drains the fluid. The sac (hydrocele) holding the fluid may be removed.

Hypospadias Repair – Surgery to correct a birth defect in boys where the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder to outside the body) ends on the underside of the penis instead of the tip of the penis. In more severe cases, the urethra opens at the middle or bottom of the penis, or in or behind the scrotum. The surgeon performs a procedure to move the urethral opening to the tip of the penis.

Interstim – Neuromodulation therapy that targets the communication problem between the brain and the nerves that control the bladder. InterStim Therapy uses a device the size of a pacemaker, which is placed under the skin in the hip area. A lead wire is connected to the device and sends electrical impulses to the sacral nerves. The impulses stimulate the nerves that suppress bladder contraction offering relief to patients with bladder issues such as overactive bladder.

Orchiopexy – Surgery to move an undescended testicle into the scrotum. Depending on the location of the testicle, one or two small incisions are made in the scrotum, the groin, or the abdomen to allow the surgeon to reach the testicle and move it to the scrotum. Sometimes another surgical method called laparoscopy is used to move undescended testicles when they are located high in the inguinal canal or in the abdomen. In both types of orchiopexy, general anesthesia is used.

Penile Prosthesis (IPP) – The inflatable penile prosthesis consists of two attached cylinders, a reservoir and a pump, which are placed surgically in the body. The two cylinders are inserted in the penis and connected by tubing to a separate reservoir of fluid. The reservoir is implanted under the groin muscles. A pump is also connected to the system and sits under the loose skin of the scrotal sac, between the testicles. During surgery, the reservoir is implanted in the lower abdomen, the pump is placed in the scrotum and the two cylinders are implanted in the corpora cavernosa (the chamber of the penis that, when filled with blood, normally produces an erection). The system is filled with sterile saline solution and then connected to form a closed system, completely concealed in the body.

Photovaporization of the Prostate (PVP) – PVP removes excess prostate tissue using a patented high-power green light laser. Once the patient is anesthetized, the physician inserts a thin fiber into the urethra through a cystoscope. The fiber delivers green laser energy that quickly vaporizes and precisely removes enlarged prostate tissue in a virtually bloodless procedure. The physician is able to safely view and control the treatment area, tailoring it to the individual’s anatomy and needs creating an open channel to allow better emptying of the bladder.

Slings for Incontinence – The most common surgery to treat stress incontinence using strips of your body’s tissue or synthetic material such as mesh to create a pelvic sling or hammock around the bladder neck and the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder). The sling provides support to keep the urethra closed — preventing leakage during coughing or sneezing.

Spermatocelectomy – A spermatocele is a sperm-filled cyst in the long, tightly coiled tube that lies above and behind each testicle (epididymis). It feels like a smooth, firm lump in the scrotum on top of the testicle. Spermatocelectomy is the removal of the cyst. Under anesthesia, a small incision is made in the scrotum. The spermatocele is located and removed from the epididymis. Absorbable sutures are used to close the area.

Transurethral Resection of Bladder Tumor (TURBT) – A surgical procedure used to diagnose bladder cancer and to remove cancerous tissue from the bladder. General anesthesia or spinal anesthesia is usually used. During TUR surgery, a cystoscope is passed into the bladder through the urethra. A tool called a resectoscope is used to remove the cancer for biopsy and to burn away any remaining cancer cells.

Transurethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP) – A prostate surgery done to relieve moderate to severe urinary symptoms caused by an enlarged prostate, a condition known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). During TURP, a combined visual and surgical instrument (resectoscope) is inserted through the tip of the penis and into the urethra. The urethra is surrounded by the prostate. Using the resectoscope, the surgeon trims away excess prostate tissue that is blocking urine flow and increases the size of the channel that allows you to empty your bladder.

Ureteroscopy – Like the cystoscope, a ureteroscope is an instrument for examining the inside of the urinary tract and also to remove ureteral stones. A ureteroscope is longer and thinner than a cystoscope and is used to see beyond the bladder into the ureters, the tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder. Through the ureteroscope, the physician can see a stone in the ureter and then remove it with a small basket at the end of a wire inserted through an extra channel in the ureteroscope. Another way to treat a stone through a ureteroscope is to extend a flexible fiber up to the stone and then, with a laser beam shone through the fiber, break the stone into smaller pieces that can then pass out of the body in the urine

Urethroplasty – Surgery to repair a defect/stricture/scar within the walls of the urethra. Scar tissue in the urine channel (the path between the bladder and the end of the penis) can block the flow of urine. Urethroplasty removes or moves the tissue to enlarge the urine channel.

Vasovasostomy (Vasectomy reversal) – A microscopic procedure that reconnects the tubes (vas deferens) that were cut during a vasectomy. Using an operating microscope, the surgeon reattaches the two ends of the vas deferens. This procedure is done in the operating room under general anesthetic.