Department of Pediatric Urology - HELIOS University Hospital Wuppertal

About the Department of Pediatric Urology at HELIOS University Hospital Wuppertal

The Department of Pediatric Urology at the HELIOS University Hospital Wuppertal offers the full range of diagnostic and therapeutic services in the area of ​its ​specialization. The department's clinical activity is focused on providing medical care to young patients with penile and urethral malformations, testicular malformations, kidney and urinary tract diseases, as well as urinary incontinence, including at night. The planning of diagnostic measures and further treatment regimen is carried out in interdisciplinary cooperation – not only urologists work with children, but also pediatricians, radiologists and nuclear medicine specialists. With the results of the accurate preliminary diagnostics, doctors develop the most effective treatment regimen for the child, while choosing conservative methods, if possible. However, a congenital defect in the child mostly requires surgical repair. Urologic surgical procedures in children are often performed using minimally invasive surgical techniques, which reduces the trauma of treatment, thereby relieving the child and his parents from the fear of open surgery. The department is headed by Prof. Dr. med. Friedrich von Rundstedt.

Phimosis is one of the most common congenital malformations of the reproductive system in boys. Phimosis is a pathological condition in which the glans penis cannot be exposed normally due to a too narrow opening in the foreskin. The disease quite often disappears on its own, therefore, until the age of 3 years, the department's specialists recommend only regular examinations. The conservative treatment involves the use of special ointments applied to the foreskin to increase its elasticity. It is also sometimes recommended to use special massage techniques that stimulate an increase in tissue elasticity in the foreskin. If the pathology does not disappear when the child reaches the age of 6-7 years, the question of surgical repair of phimosis is raised. When performing the surgical intervention, the urologist makes a circular incision, after which he mobilizes the foreskin and excises it. The surgical procedure is performed on an outpatient basis.

The medical team of pediatric urologists has excellent qualifications in the treatment of such testicular diseases as undescended testicles and testicular torsion. In the first case, it is recommended to start treatment in the first year of the boy's life, as this will avoid abnormal sperm production. The department's doctors offer hormone therapy as the first-line treatment. If it does not give a positive result, then surgery is performed at the age of 1 year. The operation is performed with the use of modern microsurgical techniques. Testicular torsion diagnosed in a child requires emergency medical care. In such clinical cases, the department's specialists resort to manual detorsion, and if it is ineffective, an urgent surgical intervention is performed.

The department's medical team fully understands that any illness in a child is a huge stress not only for him, but also for his parents, so doctors devote a sufficient amount of time to communication with parents, telling them in detail about a specific urologic disease and possible treatment options. The specialists always give preference to conservative therapy, and resort to surgical treatment only if all other methods have been exhausted.

The department's range of medical services includes:

• Diagnostics and treatment of phimosis
• Diagnostics and treatment of hypospadias
• Diagnostics and treatment of undescended testicle
• Diagnostics and treatment of testicular torsion
• Diagnostics and treatment of renal pelvis stenosis and megaureter
• Diagnostics and treatment of vesicoureteral reflux
• Diagnostics and treatment of recurrent urinary tract infections
• Diagnostics and treatment of bed-wetting (urinary incontinence)
• Diagnostics and treatment of other urologic diseases in children