Urology Conditions and Treatments

Our focus is your child’s quality of life. We put your child at the center of everything we do, and we tailor care to match your family’s unique needs. When your child’s needs are advanced, we collaborate with other specialties within Packard Children’s, including Kidney Transplant, Pediatric Nephrology, the Spina Bifida Clinic, and the DSD Program, to provide holistic care for your whole child.

The urinary system, or genitourinary tract, is an intricate system made up of the kidneys (organs that filter waste), bladder (stores urine), and the ureters and urethra (tubes that carry urine and dispel it from the body).

With the help of leading-edge technology and tools, we diagnose and treat the following conditions:

  • Ambiguous genitalia. A rare condition when a baby is born with external genitals that are not visibly female or male.
  • Bedwetting (enuresis). There are several reasons why a child might involuntarily urinate, or wet during the day or night. We offer guidance and bedwetting classes to provide understanding and solutions.
  • Circumcision. A voluntary procedure to remove a child’s foreskin shortly after birth.
  • Complex urinary incontinence. When urinary incontinence goes beyond bedwetting and has a secondary cause.
  • Congenital urinary tract conditions. We offer exemplary expertise in treating problems with the urinary tract that are present at birth.
    • Exstrophy bladder. When a developing baby’s bladder has grown inside out and protrudes through the wall of the abdomen.
    • Epispadias. As a fetus, the urethra (the tube that carries urine out of the body) develops in the wrong place.
    • Hypospadias. A developmental condition where the opening of the urethra is not in the correct location.
    • Posterior urethral valves. When small leaflets of tissue in the urethra do not form correctly as a fetus.
  • Disorders of sexual differentiation (DSD). Rare conditions at birth where a baby is born with atypical or ambiguous genitalia. We are a part of the DSD Program at Packard Children’s.
  • Floating kidney. A condition where the kidney floats within the abdomen rather than staying in place. Read Sabrina’s patient story.
  • Hydronephrosis. A condition caused by a blockage in the urinary tract, causing urine to back up into the kidneys.
  • Lower urinary tract obstruction (LUTO). A rare birth defect where the urethra is blocked during fetal life, which can damage the kidneys. Read Caleb’s patient story.
  • Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). A set of conditions involving the abnormal filling and emptying of the bladder. Learn about our innovative and interactive treatment options for LUTS that are being actively developed and studied.
  • Multicystic dysplastic kidney (MCDK). When the kidneys do not form correctly in the womb and are unable to function.
  • Penile abnormalities. Birth defects where the underside of the penis is curved (called chordee), the foreskin doesn’t form correctly (dorsal penile hood), or the penis is rotated (penile torsion).
  • Spina bifida. When a fetus’s bony spine, which protects the spinal cord and nerves, doesn’t develop normally. Almost all children born with spina bifida have neurogenic bladder, where the nerves in the bladder do not form correctly. We are a part of the multispecialty Spina Bifida Clinic, which provides holistic care to your child. Read Misty’s patient story.
  • Urinary tract infection (UTI). A common condition where bacteria causes inflammation within the urinary tract system (kidneys, bladder, ureters, urethra).
  • Urinary tract tumor. An abnormal mass of tissue that grows in the urinary tract, which can be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).
  • Undescended testes. When a male newborn baby’s testes have not descended into the scrotal sac.
  • Vesicoureteral (urinary) reflux. A condition where urine in the bladder flows in the wrong direction. Read Wilder’s patient story.