Urologist Dr. Cletus Georges provides professional insight into the field and reveals when to see a urology specialist.
A prominent Florida-based physician and urology specialist, Dr. Cletus Georges provides expert insight into the profession as he explains when it may be necessary to visit a urologist, including for conditions ranging from painful bladder syndrome and interstitial cystitis to kidney stones and prostate cancer.
Urologists primarily diagnose and treat conditions of the urinary tract. “In men, urologists may also treat conditions involving the reproductive tract,” explains Dr. Georges.
Working in a wide array of settings, from private clinics to hospitals and dedicated urology centers, urology specialists may also perform surgeries, such as to relieve a blockage, or to remove cancerous growths.
Further to the urinary and reproductive tracts, urologists also deal with the kidneys, bladder, and adrenal glands. “When dealing with the reproductive tract in male patients, a urology specialist may address conditions tied to the penis, testicles, and prostate alike,” adds Dr. Cletus Georges.
Areas of specialization within the field include urologic oncology, pediatric urology, neurourology, male infertility, and female urology, among others.
Urology education and training call for a four-year college degree, four years of medical school, and four or five years of resident medical training, according to Dr. Georges. “During their residency, new doctors work closely alongside experienced urologists to learn the necessary skills, such as in surgery, for example,” he adds.
A further two-year fellowship, in a specialty area, such as those outlined above, is optional. All urologists in the United States are certified by the American Board of Urology.
Urologists such as Dr. Georges routinely treat conditions including bladder, kidney, and other cancers, infertility, painful bladder syndrome, kidney stones, diseases of the kidneys, and serious urinary tract infections. In men, specifically, they also treat conditions of the prostate, and, in women, bladder prolapse and interstitial cystitis, according to the expert.
“So, when should a patient see a urologist?” asks Dr. Georges, rhetorically. “While a primary care physician can treat conditions such as mild urinary tract infections, a referral to a urologist will typically be made if symptoms fail to improve, or if a patient is experiencing, for example, blood in their urine, trouble urinating, weak flow, or leakage, reduced sex drive, and, in men, erectile dysfunction or a lump in the testicles,” he explains.
“Where cancer, such as prostate, bladder, or kidney cancer, is diagnosed, patients will often be referred to both a cancer specialist, known as an oncologist, and a urologist, focused specifically on conditions in this area,” Dr. Georges adds, wrapping up.
Dr. Cletus Georges attended Weill Cornell University Medical College in New York City, graduating in 1991 and completing his residency in urology at Chicago’s Northwestern University McGaw Medical Center in 1997. Shortly after that, urology specialist Dr. Georges began his practice in Sebring, Florida, before relocating to the Orlando area where he remains settled today.
