In the Houston area, urology is a very busy medical branch, mostly due to the fact that it treats so many various problems associated with the urinary system and genitourinary tract, in patients of all ages.
Making an appointment
Patients may be referred to a urogynecologist Houston has by their primary physicians, but they may also seek help on their own when they suspect that something is not quite right and indicates a condition involving kidneys, bladder or the reproductive system. Once you was referred to a urologist or found one, it is time to make an appointment, which involves calling the office to establish the date and the hour for meeting the doctor, as well as to ask what you must bring with you (maybe prior imaging studies, proof of current medication etc.).
Meeting your urologist for the first time
- Completing paperwork
Your first urology appointment will start with general discussions and paperwork – actually almost like any other medical appointment. Besides official paperwork filed by the doctor, the patient may also be required to complete a questionnaire, or a symptom score (these are used especially in the case of incontinence, infertility or prostate issues).
- Providing a urine sample
Patients will be given recipients and the conditions necessary to provide a urine sample, therefore, it is advisable to drink some 
water before your appointment.
- Going to the exam room
Before the examination, the urologist will ask you questions in order to clarify your medical history. It is very important to be able to provide exact information about the treatments that you underwent, current medications and dosages, even if they are not necessarily related to the urologic problems. You must also describe your symptoms and their severity/ recurrence, as accurately as possible, in order to help your doctor make a good diagnosis.
- The physical examination
Typically, general examination includes a complete genital exam, a pelvic exam for women and a prostate assessment for men. Your doctor may insist on some things, depending on the informant that you previously provided.
- Undergoing certain tests
This may not be necessary right from your first appointment, but some urologists may request you to go through an MRI scan, a CT scan or a sonography, in order to help them correctly diagnose the problem. Your urologist may also recommend an office-based procedure, which may consist in a minimally-invasive procedure (a cystoscopy, urodynamics or a biopsy), performed ambulatory, outside of hospitals, so on an outpatient basis.
- Getting a diagnosis and treatment recommendations
Your urologist should explain your medical condition and help you understand it correctly. Treatment may include medical management or surgery but either way you must be fully informed of your options, of the benefits and the risks.
Things you must bring with you at your first appointment with your urologist
Houston area urology specialists who see patients for the first time typically ask them to bring some things to their first appointment: medical history card, proof of recent changes to their medical record, prescription drug, alternative therapies that they are going through, as well as a complete list of their symptoms.