Urology Services

Reston Hospital Center’s Urology Services offer advanced technology that you may expect to find only in a major teaching hospital.

Urology is a surgical specialty that focuses on conditions and diseases of the male genito-urinary tract and the female urinary tract including the adrenal gland. Urologists are specialty physicians who treat patients with prostate disease, kidney stones, and incontinence. They perform a range of surgical procedures for the kidneys, ureters, bladder, prostate, urethra, and testes.

Minimally Invasive Surgery

The latest advances in minimally invasive surgery are available right here in Reston.  Among these are new approaches and techniques using miniature instruments inserted via a small tube, called a laparoscope, through tiny incisions in the body and the GreenLight PVPÔ procedure.

Laparoscopic surgery has revolutionized the way patients are treated for a variety of conditions. These minimally invasive procedures result in less discomfort, quicker recovery times, and better outcomes for patients than traditional “open” surgery.

Introducing GreenLight PVPÔ for BPH

For fifty years, transurethral resection of prostate (TURP) has been the gold standard for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH– a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate that affects at least 50 percent of American males over the age of 50. TURP often required a 3-5 day hospital stay, a high risk of complications, and a month away from work. 

Today, urologists at Reston Hospital Center offer GreenLight PVPÔ (Photoselective Vaporization of the Prostate). This laser procedure combines the outcomes of invasive surgery with the benefits of a minimally invasive treatment . Unlike drugs, other lasers, and thermal therapies, GreenLight PVPÔ offers a real solution to BPH, rather than just management of symptoms. In addition, urologists no longer need to choose between an effective, invasive surgery and less effective treatment. 

Advanced Options for Kidney Stones

Reston Hospital Center offers many methods of treatment for urinary stone disease, one of the most common urological conditions.  Stones can result from a variety of medical and urologic conditions and may develop in the kidney, ureter, and bladder. Today, laparascopic techniques using miniature instruments and imaging equipment have revolutionized kidney stone treatment and allow specialists to crush or remove stones using minimally invasive techniques.  These include:

• Non-invasive extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) - Involves the use of sound waves to crush the kidney stone into smaller pieces so they can more easily pass into the bladder.
• Percutaneous nephrolithotomy or lithotripsy - Uses laparascopic techniques to either remove or break up the stone.
• Ureteroscopy - Involves passing a very thin scope into the urinary tract, allowing the urologist to use instruments to remove or break up the stone. Ureteral stents may be used in some instances to keep the ureter open and allow passage of any stone particles.

Putting a Stop to Urological Cancers

Each year, thousands are diagnosed each year with cancer of the bladder, kidney, prostate, and testes.  New breakthroughs in cancer care, experimental treatment options, and ongoing research into the causes and potential cures of urologic malignancies spell new hope for patients.  Some of these are:

• Prostate cancer:  This is the most common type of cancer found in men and usually begins without symptoms. The chances of surviving prostate cancer are greatly improved with early detection and treatment. Reston Hospital Center offers advanced care for both early and late stage prostate cancer.  For early stage, localized prostate cancer, we offer a range of procedures, including nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy (RRP), laparoscopic prostatectomy (LRP), brachytherapy, and cryotherapy.
•  Bladder cancer:  This year, doctors will diagnose 56,500 cases of bladder cancer, most of them in men. In all, more than 12,600 people will die from bladder cancer this year. Cigarette smokers are two to three times more likely than nonsmokers to develop the disease.  Major advances have been developed over the years in urinary diversion and bladder reconstruction.
• Kidney cancer: Several types of cancer can develop in the kidneys.  Renal cell carcinoma, the most common form, accounts for approximately 85% of all cases. Early diagnosis of kidney cancer is important. As with most types of cancer, the earlier the tumor is discovered, the better a patient's chances for survival. Tumors discovered at an early stage often respond well to treatment.
• Testicular cancer: Testicular cancer accounts for only about 1% of all cancers in men but is the most common cancer in men aged 15 to 34 and is four times more common in Caucasians than in African Americans. Dramatic advances in diagnostic testing and treatment in the last twenty years have boosted survival rates remarkably. Testicular cancer often is completely curable if found and treated early.

At Reston Hospital Center, our overriding philosophy is that no one treatment is appropriate for all individuals; rather treatments need to be tailored to the disease and to the individual's own values and goals.  Urologists work closely with Reston Hospital Center's medical oncologists and radiation therapists to offer, when necessary, chemotherapy and radiation therapy for the treatment of bladder, prostate, kidney, and testicular cancer. Results are closely monitored with databases and quality-of-life studies to improve the quality of our care and to better inform patients about the risks and benefits of all treatments.

For more information on Cancer Care at Reston Hospital Center, click here. To find a urologist who practices at Reston Hospital Center, please click here.