Department of Adult and Pediatric Urology - University Hospital Oldenburg

About the Department of Adult and Pediatric Urology at University Hospital Oldenburg

The Department of Adult and Pediatric Urology at the University Hospital Oldenburg specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the male reproductive system and pathologies of the urinary system in men and women. The medical facility treats patients of all ages, including children. The department enjoys a reputation as the largest and one of the leading centers in Germany for the surgical treatment of prostate cancer and laser treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (HoLEP, ThuLEP, and Greenlight Laser procedures). The department is part of the Robotic Surgery Center Oldenburg and therefore has successful experience in performing robotic surgery using the innovative da Vinci system for prostate, kidney, and bladder cancer. The medical facility has 2 operating rooms and 3 procedure rooms where more than 3,000 surgical and interventional procedures are performed every year. The department has 64 inpatient beds. The department is certified by the German Cancer Society (DKG) in the field of prostate and kidney cancer treatment. The healthcare facility has a highly qualified team of doctors who provide each patient with optimal medical care, taking into account the specifics of their clinical case.

The Head Physician of the department is Prof. Dr. med. Friedhelm Wawroschek. The specialist has over 25 years of successful clinical practice in urology. According to the Focus magazine, Prof. Wawroschek is one of the best doctors in Germany in the treatment of prostate and bladder cancer, as well as benign prostatic hyperplasia!

The department's physicians focus on the treatment of prostate cancer. This is one of the most common cancers in men. Thanks to state-of-the-art equipment and highly qualified personnel, the medical facility regularly demonstrates high treatment success rates. The department is one of the top ten prostate cancer centers in Germany. Prostate cancer responds well to treatment in the early stages, so the department's specialists recommend that men over the age of 45 undergo regular urological examinations for the purpose of prevention or early detection of oncopathology, since it is asymptomatic in the early stages. The main methods for diagnosing prostate cancer are a digital rectal exam and a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test. If suspicious changes are detected based on the results of the preliminary diagnosis, a biopsy and imaging tests will be done. The first-line treatment for prostate cancer is most often surgery, called radical prostatectomy. The surgical procedure is performed in the department using minimally invasive or robotic techniques (da Vinci surgery). Surgical treatment is supplemented by chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, radionuclide therapy, and HIFU (high-intensity focused ultrasound) treatment.

The team of urologists in the department also specializes in the treatment of benign prostatic diseases, the most common of which is prostate adenoma. All modern methods of treating this pathology are available here: transurethral resection of the prostate (considered the "gold standard" in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia), holmium laser enucleation (HoLEP), and Greenlight laser vaporization.

The department regularly treats women, men, and children with urinary incontinence. The range of treatments to eliminate the pathology varies from psychotherapeutic care, drug treatment, electrical stimulation therapy, and physiotherapy to various urological surgeries. One of the most common surgical procedures for treating female urinary incontinence is the TVT sling procedure. In addition, there are various surgical methods that can be used to solve individual problems of patients, such as artificial sphincter implantation or special surgical procedures to correct developmental defects in children.

The department offers excellent diagnostic and treatment options for all urologic diseases in children. The surgical spectrum in the field of pediatric urology includes all operations for the treatment of pathologies of the male reproductive system, such as phimosis, urethral malformations (hypospadias), undescended testicles, hydrocele, and many other pathological conditions. The department also has a wide range of surgical and conservative methods for the treatment of genitourinary malformations, tumors, kidney and urinary tract diseases, and urinary incontinence in children. Young patients receive medical care in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

The department's clinical focuses include the following:

• Open surgery
  • Surgery on the kidneys and pelvic ureters (for example, to treat injuries, correct malformations, remove stones, or treat cancer)
  • Bladder surgery (for example, to correct malformations, treat certain types of bladder cancer, or remove the entire bladder with all forms of urinary drainage)
  • Prostate surgery (for example, to treat bladder emptying problems due to BPH or prostate cancer)
  • Surgery on the male genitalia (for example, to correct the position of the opening of the urethra (hypospadias), to straighten the penis, to treat phimosis or undescended testicles, and all surgeries for penile cancer)
• Endoscopic surgery
  • Urethral surgery (urethroscopy)
  • Bladder surgery (cystoscopy)
  • Ureteral surgery (ureteroscopy)
  • Kidney surgery (renoscopy)
• Laparoscopic surgery
  • Surgery to remove pelvic lymph nodes in prostate cancer (laparoscopic pelvic lymphadenectomy)
  • Surgery to remove kidney cysts
  • Surgery to remove kidneys, except for kidney cancer (laparoscopic nephrectomy)
  • Surgery to remove ureteral adhesions in inflammatory diseases of the retroperitoneal tissue (Ormond's disease)
  • Ureteral suturing to treat traumatic injuries
  • Surgery to treat urinary incontinence
  • Surgery to correct abdominal cryptorchidism (in children)
  • Surgery on the seminal vesicles
  • Transplantation of the ureter under the skin
  • Bladder suturing in case of injuries
  • Ureterectomy
• Transurethral surgery
  • Transurethral resection of the prostate (TUR)
  • Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP)
  • Laser vaporization for prostate adenoma (Greenlight Laser)
• Other medical services