The clinic helps protect children’s kidney function as they go through life. Treatments include both surgical and medical management for children as well as long term follow-up and multidisciplinary care. The clinic is supported by specialists in pediatric urology, pediatric surgery, nephrology, pediatric neurosurgery, as well as by pediatricians, dieticians, and social workers. The clinic also provides a transition plan to adult specialists as children reach adulthood.
Protected: Urology
The Pediatric Urology Clinic is one of the few in the United States that focus on the prevention of renal injury from Congenital Anomalies of the Kidney and Urinary Tract (CAKUT).
About Pediatric Urology
Urology is a specialized field of medicine that deals with the urinary and reproductive systems, including their development and function before and after birth. The urinary system eliminates waste in the form of urine, consisting of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. A doctor who diagnoses and treats conditions that affect these areas is known as a urologist.
The clinic evaluates and treats a wide variety of conditions involving the kidneys, urinary tract, bladder, and genitals, including, but not limited to:
Anorectal Malformation (ARM)
These are congenital (present at birth) issues involving abnormal development of the anus and rectum during gestation. While some ARM cases involve mild issues that can be easily fixed with surgery, others can be very complicated, with problems like the lack of an anal opening, an opening in the wrong place or abnormalities of the urinary tract.
Bedwetting
A very common issue in children, bedwetting is the accidental release of urine while sleeping. While usually not dangerous, bedwetting can be distressing to a potty-trained child, and may make them anxious about sleepovers or out-of-town trips. If the issue happens regularly despite taking steps to avoid it like emptying the bladder before bedtime, it could indicate a problem like a UTI or a sleep disorder.
Cancer of the Urinary and Genital Systems
Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells, to the point they begin to affect a person's health and the normal function of the body. While exceptionally rare, cancer can occur in the urinary and reproductive systems of children of both genders. Worried your child might have urological or genital cancer? It's very unlikely, but a pediatric urologist can tell for sure. Don't panic. We can help.
Pediatric Urology Clinic - El Paso Children's Hospital
If your child is facing a urologic or reproductive system-related medical issue, you need the team that is always committed to collaborative, family-first care and the latest treatment options. From minor urge incontinence to major issues like congenital anomalies of the kidneys and urinary tract, we’ve got the experience, the tools and the team to make a difference for your child.
Multispecialty Center
5400 Alameda AvenueEl Paso, Texas 79905
Phone
915-242-8402
Monday - Friday
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Medical Staff
Belen Terrazas-Ponce, CPNP
Nurse Practitioner
Conditions Treated
These are congenital (present at birth) issues involving abnormal development of the anus and rectum during gestation. While some ARM cases involve mild issues that can be easily fixed with surgery, others can be very complicated, with problems like the lack of an anal opening, an opening in the wrong place or abnormalities of the urinary tract.
A very common issue in children, bedwetting is the accidental release of urine while sleeping. While usually not dangerous, bedwetting can be distressing to a potty-trained child, and may make them anxious about sleepovers or out-of-town trips. If the issue happens regularly despite taking steps to avoid it like emptying the bladder before bedtime, it could indicate a problem like a UTI or a sleep disorder.
Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells, to the point they begin to affect a person's health and the normal function of the body. While exceptionally rare, cancer can occur in the urinary and reproductive systems of children of both genders. Worried your child might have urological or genital cancer? It's very unlikely, but a pediatric urologist can tell for sure. Don't panic. We can help.
Rarely diagnosed in children, CKD is a condition in which the kidneys slowly become damaged over a long period of time. In some cases, this can lead to kidney failure, in which the kidneys don't work as they should or don't work at all. Symptoms of CKD and renal failure in kids include swelling in the legs, feet, face or hands (edema), changes in urine output, having excessively foamy urine due to protein (proteinuria), dark urine or visible blood in the urine (hematuria) and other symptoms.
Circumcision is the removal of the foreskin (prepuce) of a male infant's penis, usually within days of being born. The foreskin is a loose, retractable sheath of skin that normally covers the glans of the penis. During a circumcision, it is surgically removed just below the glans. The incision usually heals without major scarring or complications. Whether or not to circumcise an infant is up to the parent, but leaving the foreskin in place usually does not affect a person's health or normal function as long as good hygiene is followed.
Also called diurnal enuresis, this is the involuntary release of urine while a fully potty-trained child is awake, even when bathroom facilities are available and nearby. Potentially even more distressing to a potty-trained child than nighttime bedwetting, daytime wetting can be caused by a range of issues, from problems with the urinary sphincter or bladder to infections of the urinary tract.
This is a group of rare conditions that causes the sexual development of a person to occur differently than most people their age and gender. These issues can be caused by a range of factors, including genetic mutations, hormonal issues, congenital problems with the reproductive organs and other factors.
Also called a ureteral duplication, a duplicated kidney refers to a congenital (present at birth) issue in which a single kidney has two ureters connecting it to the bladder instead of the usual one. Often discovered accidentally during an ultrasound for another condition, duplicated kidney often causes no noticeable symptoms even into adulthood.
These issues are characterized by a child having a frequent, urgent need to urinate, beyond what's normal for a child their age and size. Many children, especially those only a few years from being potty trained, may feel the need to urinate more often due to the fear of accidents. For others, there may be a physical issue. We have treatments and strategies for both.
This is a condition that can cause noticeable swelling in a child's scrotum (the sack that holds the testicles) due to a buildup of fluid around the testicles. Usually painless, some hydrocele cases resolve on their own. In some cases, however, the condition might indicate a more serious issue, like an abnormal connection between the abdominal cavity and the scrotum that's allowing fluid from the abdomen to flow into the scrotum (what's known as a communicating hydrocele).
This is a common birth defect that causes abnormal development of the penis. In male infants born with hypospadias, the small hole where urine leaves the body (the meatus) isn't at the tip of the penis where it should be. Instead, the meatus might exit in the middle of the penis, at the base, through the scrotum or even near the anus. While some cases are mild, more severe cases of hypospadias can impact the normal, lifelong function of the penis and the ability to have children someday if not diagnosed and repaired through surgery.
These are hard, stone-like collections of minerals and salts that sometimes clump together inside the kidneys. The size of these stones can vary from case to case, from smaller than a grain of rice to the size of a dime or larger. While smaller kidney stones often pass through the urinary tract without issues, larger stones can sometimes get trapped, causing severe, cramplike pain and other symptoms.
A fairly common issue that's usually seen in girls under seven years old, labial adhesions occur when a child's labia minora stick to each other. In some cases, this can completely seal the vaginal opening. Most labial adhesions aren't dangerous and get better on their own, fully resolving once a girl nears puberty and begins producing more estrogen. However, the issue may be a symptom of genital irritation or inflammation, so evaluation is recommended.
This is a serious medical emergency in which a spermatic cord -- the tube-like structures that support and nourish the testicles -- gets twisted. Among other functions, the spermatic cord includes the vessels that supply oxygen-rich blood to the testes. Twisting the spermatic cord restricts or cuts off this blood supply. While testicular torsion is sometimes the result of a groin injury, it can also happen with no apparent cause. Symptoms include pain, swelling, discoloration and tenderness of the testicles that can be severe. Medical attention is usually required to save the affected testicle, so if your child displays these symptoms, don't wait. Call 911 or go to the El Paso Children's Hospital Emergency Room immediately.
From tightrope walking gone wrong to misplaced kicks on the playground, the El Paso Children's Hospital Urology Team is skilled at discretely diagnosing and treating traumatic injuries to the groin and urinary tract, calming stressed-out kids and getting them back to having fun.
Also called cryptorchidism, this is a common condition in which one or both of a male infant's testicles doesn't descend from the abdomen to the scrotum, as they should during the first six months after birth. Most cases involving an undescended testicle resolve on their own as the child becomes more active. In some cases, however, surgery may be required.
This is a condition characterized by an abnormal narrowing of the urethra, which is the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body. In severe cases, that can make it hard to fully drain the bladder. In children, urethral strictures can be caused by a range of issues, including congenital (present at birth) issues, infections, inflammation, scar tissue from previous injury or surgery and other factors. Symptoms include "spraying" urine, reduced urine flow, feeling like the bladder isn't fully empty, blood in the urine and other issues.
Also called vesicoureteral reflux or VUR, this is a condition characterized by urine flowing backward from the bladder into the ureters and, in some cases, the kidneys. Most often seen in infants and younger children, the issue can be caused by an issue present at birth, or a blockage in the urinary tract. Most cases of urinary reflux aren't dangerous and don't cause long-term problems. In some cases, however, the issue can cause recurring urinary tract infections and, even more rarely, kidney damage.
Very common in children, this is an infection in any part of the urinary tract, including the kidneys, ureters, bladder or urethra. Most UTIs are caused by a bacterial infection involving the lower urinary tract (the urethra and bladder). Symptoms include a burning feeling while urinating, frequent urination, blood in the urine and pain in the lower belly.