What is Endourology?

This is a branch of Urology which uses minimally invasive surgical techniques to access all parts of the Urinary Tract. This permits simple inspection of the entire system and allows the Urologist to diagnose and treat disease. Access is either by passage of telescope via urethra or by percutaneous needle puncture into the drainage system of kidney.

There has been rapid development of optics, lasers and instrument design over the past 80 years. These technological advances have allowed the subspecialty to develop. The dividend of minimally invasive access to urinary tract means that patients requiring surgical care will have small incisions or no incisions at all. This allows patients to recover more quickly than before. They experience less post-operative pain, have shorter hospital stays, get back to work more quickly and have minimal visible scarring.

Endourologists most commonly treat stones and strictures in the urinary tract.