Overview

Pediatric urology specializes in diagnosing and treating congenital and acquired urinary tract and genital disorders in infants, children, and adolescents, taking into account evolving renal and bladder physiology.

About Pediatric Urology

Pediatric urology focuses on congenital and acquired disorders of the urinary tract and genitalia in infants, children, and adolescents, recognizing that growing kidneys, bladders, and reproductive organs demand age-specific evaluation and intervention. Early detection and tailored therapies can preserve renal function, prevent infections, and optimize urinary and reproductive health across the lifespan.

What is Pediatric Urology?

Pediatric urology is the subspecialty of urology dedicated to diagnosing, treating, and managing congenital and acquired disorders of the urinary and genital systems in infants, children, and adolescents, acknowledging that growing kidneys, bladders, and reproductive organs require age-specific approaches. It spans a spectrum of conditions—including antenatal hydronephrosis, vesicoureteral reflux, posterior urethral valves, and duplex collecting systems—where early ultrasound and voiding cystourethrogram screening preserve renal function. Genital anomalies such as hypospadias, chordee, undescended testes, and disorders of sexual development demand meticulous surgical reconstruction timed to critical developmental windows. Functional issues like neurogenic bladder from spina bifida, dysfunctional voiding, and nocturnal enuresis leverage bladder training, biofeedback, and clean-intermittent catheterization. Pediatric urolithiasis and rare tumors (Wilms tumor, rhabdomyosarcoma) involve metabolic evaluation, minimally invasive stone removal, or oncologic surgery in collaboration with oncology teams. Diagnostic tools blend renal/bladder ultrasound, nuclear scans (DMSA, MAG3), endoscopic cystoscopy, and urodynamic studies to map anatomy and function. Therapeutic strategies range from antibiotic prophylaxis for urinary reflux to endoscopic valve ablation, ureteral reimplantation, orchiopexy, hypospadias repair, and laparoscopic or robot-assisted reconstructive procedures. 

What are urologic conditions in children?

Pediatric urologic conditions comprise a range of disorders affecting the kidneys, ureters, bladder, urethra, genital organs in infants and children, requiring specialized evaluation and management. 

• Congenital anomalies include posterior urethral valves, duplex collecting systems, ureteropelvic junction obstruction, bladder exstrophy, and vesicoureteral reflux, all of which can lead to hydronephrosis, urinary tract infections, and renal impairment if untreated. 

• Hypospadias and epispadias represent urethral malformations in boys that may impair urinary and reproductive function, while cryptorchidism demands timely orchiopexy to preserve fertility and reduce malignancy risk. 

• Functional disorders such as nocturnal enuresis, overactive bladder, and dysfunctional voiding involve aberrant bladder control and necessitate behavioral therapy, biofeedback, and pharmacologic agents like anticholinergics. 

• Recurrent urinary tract infections signal possible underlying reflux or obstruction and prompt imaging, antibiotic prophylaxis, or surgical correction. 

• Pediatric urolithiasis, although less common than in adults, can cause flank pain and hematuria and is managed through hydration, dietary modification, and minimally invasive stone removal. 

• Neurogenic bladder secondary to spina bifida or spinal cord injury challenges continence and renal protection, requiring clean intermittent catheterization and urodynamic monitoring. 

• Finally, neoplastic conditions—Wilms tumor, rhabdomyosarcoma, and testicular tumors—demand a multidisciplinary oncologic approach combining surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy to optimize outcomes while minimizing long-term sequelae.

Pediatric Urology Process

Pediatric urology treatment methods

Pediatric urology treatment methods span conservative, pharmacologic, minimally invasive, and surgical modalities tailored to the child’s age, anatomy, and underlying condition. Conservative therapies include biofeedback and pelvic‐floor training to improve detrusor–sphincter coordination in neurogenic bladder and dysfunctional voiding, as well as timed voiding programs combined with nutritional counseling and hydration strategies to manage nocturnal enuresis and prevent urinary tract infections. Pharmacologic management leverages antibiotic prophylaxis for vesicoureteral reflux and recurrent infections, anticholinergics for overactive bladder, and alpha‐blockers for bladder outlet obstruction in posterior urethral valves. Minimally invasive procedures—such as endoscopic circumcision, valve ablation, and laser lithotripsy—offer reduced morbidity and shorter hospital stays, while laparoscopic and robot‐assisted techniques have become the standard of care for complex reconstructive surgeries, including pyeloplasty for ureteropelvic junction obstruction, ureteral reimplantation for reflux, and augmentation cystoplasty for small‐capacity bladders. Open surgical interventions address congenital anomalies like hypospadias repair with multi‐stage flap techniques, orchiopexy for cryptorchidism, and bladder exstrophy closure. Long‐term support includes clean intermittent catheterization with caregiver training, urodynamic‐guided catheter management, and multidisciplinary follow-up with nephrologists and rehabilitation specialists to optimize renal preservation and continence outcomes.

Pediatric Urology procedures

Hypospadias repair and vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) surgery are cornerstone reconstructive procedures in pediatric urology, each tailored to correct congenital anatomic defects and safeguard long‐term renal and reproductive health. 

• Hypospadias repair, typically performed between 6 and 18 months under general anesthesia with adjunct caudal block, relocates the abnormal urethral meatus—using one‐stage techniques like the Snodgrass tubularized incised plate or two‐stage flap approaches for more proximal variants—and corrects chordee to achieve a straight, functional penis. The operation lasts about 1–2 hours and entails placing a catheter for 5–7 days, with potential complications including fistula formation, meatal stenosis, and glans dehiscence. 

• vesicoureteral reflex (VUR) surgery aims to prevent renal scarring by restoring a unidirectional urine flow. Open ureteral reimplantation—either intravesical or extravesical—creates a new submucosal tunnel for the ureter, while endoscopic injection of bulking agents (e.g., dextranomer/hyaluronic acid) offers a minimally invasive alternative for low‐ to moderate‐grade reflux. Pre‐ and post‐operative voiding cystourethrograms grade reflux and confirm resolution. Postoperative care includes brief catheter drainage, analgesia, and renal ultrasound surveillance.

Through meticulous surgical technique, age-appropriate anesthesia, and longitudinal follow-up, pediatric urologists correct underlying defects, preserve kidney function, and optimize urinary and reproductive outcomes.

Pediatric Urology in Iran

Equipped hospitals, and advanced specialized centers with experienced doctors and specialists are available in all medical treatment areas in Iran. Also, good hotels and entertainment centers have made Iran an appropriate choice for patients who need Pediatric Urology Treatments. 

Pediatric Urology treatment cost in Iran

In Iran, pediatric urology services combine expert care with remarkably affordable pricing compared to Western countries. The cost of pediatric urology treatments in Iran may vary, from a consultation, voiding cystourethrogram, cystoscopy or endoscopic valve ablation, to hypospadias repair. This combination of low overhead, high surgical volume, and government support ensures that Iranian pediatric urology care remains accessible to families both domestically and abroad.