Pediatric Urology

Pediatric urology services

Our pediatric urologists care for babies and children with a wide range of urologic and genital conditions, from common concerns such as bed-wetting to complex birth defects that require surgery. We work with you and your child to help your family feel informed, supported and comfortable throughout the process.

For your convenience, we see patients at several Bay Area locations. Our specialty areas include bladder and bowel issues, hypospadias repair and other complex urologic conditions.

Bladder and bowel issues

Incontinence is common in kids and has many potential causes. We carefully evaluate each child to identify any underlying health conditions that cause bladder or bowel issues, so we can determine the right treatment approach.

Parents and caregivers get step-by-step support and guidance to help their child with:

• Bed-wetting or daytime incontinence

• Constipation

• Frequent urinary tract infections (UTIs)

• Stool or urine leakage

Hypospadias repair

Hypospadias is a common birth defect affecting the penis. In children with hypospadias, the urethra opens on the underside of the penis rather than at the tip. Children with severe hypospadias need treatment so they can urinate normally.

In most cases, our surgeons can repair the opening with an outpatient procedure, typically when the child is 6 to 18 months old. Your pediatric urologist can recommend the right timing for your child's hypospadias repair.

Our team is also investigating causes of hypospadias, including possible genetic and environmental factors.

Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) care

Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) affects urine flow and may cause frequent UTIs, bed-wetting or painful urination.

To diagnose VUR, we use a test called a voiding cystourethrogram. Our team is experienced in making this test as quick and painless as possible, and results are available immediately.

We then create a personalized treatment plan based on your child's symptoms and your family's preferences. Some children outgrow VUR. Until they do, we may prescribe daily antibiotics to prevent infections and behavioral modifications to avoid accidents.

Other children need surgery. When surgery is necessary, our team uses the least invasive approach possible.

Complex urological conditions

Our team has the expertise to address complex urological conditions, such as:

• Bladder exstrophy, a birth defect in which the bladder develops outside the body

• Wilms tumor, a type of kidney cancer that mainly affects children

• Differences in sex development that cause atypical genitals

Children with these conditions need care from multiple specialists. We work closely with experts in fetal medicine, nephrology, endocrinology, oncology, radiology, orthopedic surgery and neurosurgery to support the best possible outcomes for each child.

Minimally invasive urologic surgery

Some children need surgery to correct urologic or genital problems. Pediatric urologists at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals pioneered minimally invasive approaches to complex urologic procedures and continue to use these techniques today.

Minimally invasive procedures, including robot-assisted surgery, use small incisions and are often completed within a few hours. Most children can go home the same day.

We routinely use outpatient procedures to treat hypospadias, undescended testicles, hernias, hydroceles and severe defects of the penis.

Our surgeons also excel in treating children who've had a previous surgery that was unsuccessful. We work to find the approach that best meets your child's needs and can provide lasting relief.