Urology

Urology is the study and treatment of disorders of the urinary tracts in men and women, and of the male reproductive system.

This means that the organs covered by urology include the kidneys, uretha, ureters, and the urinary bladder, plus those of the male reproductive system, such as the prostate and testes. Urologists are trained to provide care in all these areas.

Urological problems can often affect one another – the organs involved are connected in a complex system, and your urologist will manage non-surgical problems as well as ones which may involve surgery, so as best to maintain your overall condition.

The urology department works closely with oncology and gynaecology.

What we do:

We have been recognised internationally through awards for research into testosterone deficiency syndrome and testosterone replacement therapy.  As well as providing services in these specialist areas, the department also runs:

• Prostate assessment clinics for patients who have undergone TRUS biopsies and require their results.
• Urological chemotherapy service and catheter service.
• Erectile dysfunction clinic.
• Holmium laser and green light laser services, meaning our patients have access to highly specialist treatments for enlarged prostates.

Additional services provided by the clinical nurses specialists include:

• Counselling pre- and post-operatively as well as support during cancer diagnosis.
• Urostomy care.
• Basic continence care – pelvic floor teaching and bladder drill.
• On-going care for patients with chronic urological conditions.
• Catheter care – intermittent self-catherterisation, urethral and supra-pubic.
• Intense counselling for pre-orthoptic bladder substitution.
• Intense counselling and siting of stoma pre-cystectomy with ileal conduit.
• Teaching medical students, nursing students, GPs, community nurses etc.

Urology specialists:

Mr R. Abraham is an associate specialist in urology, providing general urology services and has special interests in urodynamics, hematuria clinic, TRUS clinics  and stones.

Mr Foster works in the  general urological service which includes treating stones, prostate and bladder for non-malignant conditions. Mr Foster is also the regional lead for penile canders and takes referrals from outside the region. Mr Foster has helped develop the andrology and erectile dysfunction services.

Mr G. Gill is an associate specialist in urology. His special interests include stones, urodynamics,  female urology and general endo-urology.

Mr R. Jaganathan was appointed as a consultant urologist in 1996 to the Heartlands Hospital and is the leader clinician for prostate cancer surgery.

Specialist interests: Prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, and more recently has helped further develop the orthoptic bladder surgery service.

Mr S. Natalwala is an associate specialist, carrying out general urological service treatment. He has a special interest in working in the haematuria and TRUS  clinics.

Mr H. Ojha is a consultant urologist. Mr Ojha provides general urological services working on prostate and bladder for non-malignant conditions. He is also a pelvic cancer surgeon.  His special interest also includes complex renal tumours and he performs open radical nephrectomy and partial nephrectomies. Mr Ojha was first appointed as a consultant urologist in October 2000 at a Walsall Trust and then moved to Heart of England Trust as a consultant in October 2002.

Specialist interests: Prostate cancer, bladder cancer, renal cancer, complex uro gynaecological problems and general endo-urology.

Mr S. Phillips was appointed as a consultant urologist in 1996, originally working for City Hospital before transferring to Heart of England in 1998.

Specialist interests: Renal cancer, prostate cancer, endoscopic urology and more recently laparoscopic urological procuedures.

Mr  B. Dev. Sarmah was appointed as a consultant urologist in 1992, having performed a large part of his training within Heart of England Trust as an SHO and registrar. Mr Sarmah also performs duties of the clinical multi-disciplinary team lead.

Specialist interests: Bladder cancer, having recently developed orthoptic bladder substitution, prostate cancer, benign prostate disease, stone disease and endoscopic urological surgery.

Mr H. Syed, consultant urologist, works within the general urological service including stones, prostate and bladder for non-malignant conditions. In particular, Mr Syed offers a holmium laser service for patients with stone disease and recurrent bladder tumours, enabling patients to undergo treatment as a local anaeshetic day case rather than undergoing more invasive surgery. Mr Syed also performs percutaneous nephro-lithotomy for stone disease and is currently developing the laparoscopic service for nephrectomy (kidney) and pyeloplasty.

Contact details:

• Erectile Dysfunction Clinic: 0121 4241302
• Urodynamics Clinic Treatment Centre: 0121 424 9337
• TWOC Clinic Appointments: 0121 424 7669
• Secretary to Mr Foster: 0121 424 9011
• Secretary to Mr Morris and Mr Ibrahim: 0121 424 1138
• Secretary to Mr Ojha: 0121 424 9013
• Secretary to Mr Phillips:  0121 424 0335
• Sec Mr B D Sarmah: 0121 424 3334
• Secretary Mr Syed: 0121 424 7386