Urology

Pediatric urologists at Dell Children’s in Central Texas deliver advanced care for children with urinary tract and genital conditions.

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Pediatric urology at Dell's Children

Pediatric urologists at Dell Children’s in Austin, Texas, are experienced specialists and surgeons who diagnose, treat and manage disorders of the urinary system and genitals. We start by listening to you and your child to better understand their health. Then, we work together to create a care plan that’s right for your child and family.

Specialized care for children with urologic conditions

The urology care team at Dell Children’s provides care for the most common to most complex urologic and genitourinary conditions in children. These conditions can be uncomfortable and even painful for children. Your child’s care team helps make your child feel comfortable and delivers child-friendly testing to diagnose urologic conditions.

  • Bladder conditions
    • Exstrophy of the bladder - a congenital malformation that causes the bladder to be misshaped and exposed outside the body
    • Hematuria - blood in the urine
    • Neurogenic bladder - a lack of bladder control due to brain or nerve conditions
  • Continence
    • Bedwetting 
    • Daytime wetting 
    • Urinary frequency
  • Genitalia conditions
    • Ambiguous genitalia - when the external genitals don’t clearly appear to be male or female
    • Chordee - when the head of the penis curves either downward or upward
    • Concealed (hidden) penis - when the penis is partially or completely hidden below the surface of the skin
    • Epispadias - a rare malformation of the urethra that causes urine to exit the body in an abnormal location
    • Hypospadias - when the opening of the urethra is on the underside of the penis 
    • Labial adhesions - a common disorder in prepubescent females that causes the labia to stick together
    • Meatal stenosis - an abnormal narrowing of the opening at the tip of the penis
    • Micropenis - underdevelopment of the penis
    • Phimosis - when the foreskin of the penis cannot be fully retracted from the head of the penis
  • Groin conditions
    • Hydrocele - a buildup of fluid around one or both testicles that causes the scrotum and groin area to swell
    • Hernia - protrusion of an organ through a hole in a muscular wall (commonly in the groin and abdominal wall)
  • Urinary tract infection
    • Urinary tract infection (UTI) - an infection in the urinary tract, characterized by pain with urination, frequent need to urinate and the urge to urinate even when the bladder is empty
  • Kidney conditions
    • Duplex kidney - two ureters come from a single kidney
    • Hydronephrosis - a swollen kidney due to a buildup of urine
    • Horseshoe kidney - the fusion of the kidneys into a horseshoe shape
    • Multicystic dysplastic kidney - formation of irregular cysts of varying sizes in the kidneys
    • Ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO) - obstruction in urine flow where the ureter connects with the kidney
    • Ureterovesical junction obstruction (UVJO) - obstruction in urine flow where the ureter meets the bladder
    • Renal dysplasia - occurs in the womb and causes the internal structures of the kidneys to develop improperly
  • Scrotum conditions
    • Epididymitis - inflammation that occurs in the epididymis (the coiled tube behind the testicles that stores and carries sperm)
    • Epididymal cysts (spermatocele) - fluid-filled cysts that form in the epididymis
    • Testicular torsion - occurs when the spermatic cord twists and restricts the testicle’s blood supply, resulting in pain and swelling
    • Undescended testis - a birth condition in which one or both testicles fail to descend into the scrotum and remain in the abdomen
    • Testicular cancer and tumors - cancer and noncancerous growths in the testicles
  • Kidney and bladder stones
    • Kidney stones - calcium masses inside the kidneys
    • Bladder stones - hard mineral masses inside the bladder
  • Trauma injury
    • Injuries to kidney, ureter and bladder 
    • Injuries to genitalia
  • Urethra conditions
    • Posterior urethral valves (PUV) - occurs only in males and causes a blockage in the urethra near the bladder
    • Urethral prolapse - most common in young females (before puberty), when the inner lining of the urethra becomes swollen and sticks out through the opening of the urethra
    • Urethral stricture - abnormal narrowing of the urethra which causes difficult urination
  • Ureter conditions
    • Ectopic ureter - when the ureter does not connect to the bladder as it should and drains somewhere else
    • Megaureter - an abnormality that causes a wide ureter 
    • Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) - when urine flows backward from the bladder into the kidneys
    • Ureterocele - swelling that occurs at the bottom of one of the ureters, often resulting in blocked urine flow
    • Ureteral duplication - a condition that causes two ureters to grow and drain from a single kidney
  • Other complex urologic conditions
    • Cancer in the genitals or urinary system
    • Cloacal exstrophy - a congenital condition where much of the abdominal organs are exposed outside the body
    • Prune-Belly syndrome (Eagle-Barrett syndrome) - absence of abdominal wall muscles
    • Anorectal malformations - when the anus and the rectum don’t develop properly, develop in the wrong place or don’t develop at all
    • Gonadal dysgenesis - congenital disorders of the reproductive system, including underdevelopment or lack of development of genitals

Multispecialty care teams

When you choose Dell Children’s, your family is connected to the most pediatric specialists in Central Texas. That means if your child’s condition is related to another health concern, we work closely with other pediatric specialists and referring doctors at Dell Children’s, including nephrologists, neurologists, endocrinologists, surgeons, adolescent medicine, oncology and more. Together, we collaborate on your child’s care plan to deliver comprehensive care. And your child benefits from having the expertise of multiple specialists.

Caring for the whole child

Certified child life specialists are part of your care team. These specialists are experienced in helping children manage stress and other challenges that may come with a urologic condition and while they are receiving care in the hospital and in our clinics. Our specialists meet with your child and family and work with you to create a care plan that supports your child’s emotional and developmental health.

Advanced surgical care for urologic conditions

Little girl in hospital bed.

For some conditions, surgery may be recommended as part of your child’s care plan. At Dell Children’s, our pediatric urologists specialized in surgical care and work with a team of pediatric anesthesiologists, pharmacists and other pediatric specialists. Whenever possible, pediatric surgeons use minimally invasive procedures. These less invasive surgical techniques use small incisions and typically lead to a shorter recovery. Our surgeons also have expertise in delicate procedures for newborns and infants with congenital malformations and urological related conditions.

We understand surgery can feel scary for your child and your family. Tell us your concerns and ask us your questions — big and small. Your child’s care team takes the time to explain the procedure to you and your child. We also explain what to expect before surgery and how to care for your child at home after surgery.

If your child is experiencing a life-threatening emergency, go to the nearest ER or call 911.

Urology