Pediatric Urology
OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital provides advanced care for infants and children with urinary and genital disorders. You will find skilled providers for even the most complex conditions. Our services include:
- Team-based care, with pediatric experts working together to treat your child’s unique needs.
- Highly trained specialists who treat hundreds of patients a year.
- State-of-the-art diagnostic tests, including one not available for children elsewhere in Oregon.
- Expertise in robotic surgery, with small incisions and a shorter recovery than with traditional surgery.
- Research into innovative treatments.
- The most experienced pediatric urology team in Oregon and southwest Washington.
Conditions we treat
- Hernias
- Hydronephrosis (kidney swelling) and urinary tract obstructions
- Hypospadias (defect in the penis opening)
- Phimosis (unretracted foreskin)
- Undescended testicles
- Urinary tract infections
- Vesicoureteral reflux (urine backing up into the kidneys)
- Voiding dysfunction (bedwetting, bowel and urinary incontinence)
- Bladder exstrophy and epispadias (malformed bladder)
- Bladder, testicular and kidney cancers
- Cloacal deformities (the rectum, vagina and urethra share one opening)
- Disorders of sexual development
- Fetal anomalies of the urinary system or reproductive organs
- Hematuria (blood in the urine)
- Hernia and hydroceles (fluid-filled sac in the groin)
- Kidney disorders
- Kidney stones
- Neurogenic bladder (overactive or underactive bladder)
- Posterior urethral valves (extra tissue in a boy’s urethra, the tube that carries urine and sperm outside the body)
- Testicular torsion
- Varicocele (enlarged veins in the scrotum)
Our excellence
Regional leader: We are the leading provider of care for infants and children with urologic problems in Oregon and southwest Washington. Patients with complex conditions are referred to us from across the region.
Expertise: We treat thousands of patients a year. Our surgeons are trained in complex surgery specific to children.
Robot-assisted surgery: Our pediatric urologists offer expertise in robot-assisted laparoscopy, a minimally invasive surgery. This technique uses only small incisions, resulting in less pain and faster recovery.
Advanced evaluation: We offer a test for children called video urodynamics. It combines pressure testing, electrodes and real-time X-rays for a complete view of the urinary system. We’re also one of the few hospitals in the Northwest that uses an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan designed for the urinary system.
Convenient care: In addition to Portland, we offer pediatric urology care in Eugene and Salem.
Your child’s visit
Preparation: Please have your child drink extra liquids before your visit. Your child’s urine will be checked at most visits.
Exam: Your child will probably have a physical exam at the first visit so we can assess your child’s health.
Forms: We’ll tell you which forms you need for your child’s visit. They must be completed before the appointment. You can download the forms here:
Coordinated care
Team of experts: Your child’s care team may include a range of providers, such as a:
- Pediatric urologist
- Pediatric endocrinologist (hormone specialist)
- Pediatric psychologist
- Neonatologist (expert in newborn care)
- Geneticist
- Radiologist (imaging specialist)
- Nurse practitioner
Fetal Care Program: Many urologic conditions can be diagnosed before birth. We work with Doernbecher’s Fetal Care Program for all urologic conditions diagnosed in the womb. Your baby’s urologist will meet with you before birth. We’ll help you prepare for testing and treatment that might be needed after your baby is born.
Additional clinics: Specialists from a range of fields come together in our clinics for:
Support services: Doernbecher provides a full range of support services for your child and family.
Research and clinical trials
Spina bifida registry: Doernbecher’s urology program is part of the National Spina Bifida Patient Registry. The registry, a program of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, collects patient data with the goal of improving care and outcomes. Participating clinics share best practices.
National collaboration: We work with medical centers across the country to find better ways to diagnose and treat urologic conditions. For example, we belong to the Disorders of Sex Development Translational Research Network. The network’s research includes a patient registry to track outcomes.
Clinical trials: We offer access to test new therapies. Find out more about our clinical trials.
Learn more
- What is a Pediatric Urologist? American Academy of Pediatrics
- Bedwetting in Children and Teens: Nocturnal Enuresis, American Academy of Pediatrics
- Daytime Accidents & Bladder Control Problems: Voiding Dysfunction Explained, American Academy of Pediatrics
- Inguinal Hernia in Infants & Children, American Academy of Pediatrics
For families
Call 503-346-0640 to:
- Request an appointment.
- Seek a second opinion.
- Ask questions.
Locations
Parking is free for patients and their visitors.
Doernbecher Children’s Hospital
700 S.W. Campus Drive
Portland, OR 97239
Map and directions
We also offer locations in Eugene and Salem.
Refer a patient
- Refer your patient to Doernbecher.
- Call 503-346-0644 to seek provider-to-provider advice.
Robotic surgery brings relief
Read how Dr. Casey Seideman used robotic surgery to remove a cyst that had given Nathan Garcia pain and digestive problems for years.
Stay informed
News: Read about research breakthroughs, patient care and many other topics on the OHSU News site.