Urology covers the urinary tract — kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra — in both men and women, and also the male reproductive organs, including the prostate. The conditions treated by urologists range from the relatively straightforward (kidney stones, urinary tract infections) to the serious and potentially life-threatening (kidney cancer, prostate cancer, bladder cancer).

Prostate disease, in particular, is something that most men will encounter at some point. The prostate is a small gland that sits below the bladder and surrounds the urethra. It tends to enlarge as men age — a condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) — causing urinary symptoms that, while not dangerous, can significantly affect quality of life. Separately, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men and, when caught early, is highly treatable. The challenge is that early prostate cancer rarely causes symptoms at all, which is why screening matters.

Kidney stones are another of the most common urological conditions globally. Formed from minerals and salts that crystallise inside the kidney, they cause some of the most severe pain a person can experience when they move into the ureter. Most small stones pass on their own. Larger ones — or stones that are blocking the urinary tract — require intervention: either ultrasonic fragmentation (lithotripsy), laser treatment through a small camera inserted into the ureter, or in some cases keyhole surgery.