Should I See a Urologist or My Primary Care Doctor?

Most people know they should see their primary care physician (PCP) when they have an illness that won’t go away, they experience unusual pain in a particular area of the body or they need to get an annual check-up or recommended medical screening. PCPs are the gateway into all of medicine’s specialties.

Specialists come into the picture when there is a specific organ-related problem that requires a higher level of care.

For example, PSA prostate cancer screening should be a shared decision between you and your PCP based on your age and risk factors, usually starting at about age 45 to 50 (earlier for higher-risk groups). If your number is high, you will be referred to a urologist to rule out cancer.

If you’re getting up multiple times at night to urinate or having sudden urges you can’t control, your PCP can start the workup, but persistent overactive bladder symptoms often need a urologist for further evaluation and treatment.

One common misconception is that urologists only see men. This is not true. As medical and surgical specialists in the entire genital and urinary tract, urologists see both men and women. If you’re wondering when you should see a PCP or a urologist, here’s what you should know.

Why You Should Start with a Primary Care Physician

If you notice something unusual, whether it’s an issue with bladder control, an enlarged prostate or recurrent infections, you should see your primary care doctor. A PCP can do an initial evaluation and decide whether you need to be referred to a specialist, which in this case would be a urologist. Different healthcare plans have varying requirements for seeing a specialist, but in many cases, you will need a referral from your primary care doctor.

You may also choose to skip your PCP and go directly to a specialist. This may happen if you have an acute issue or have an issue you feel more comfortable speaking about directly with a urologist, such as erectile dysfunction or urinary incontinence.

In most cases, other than acute emergencies such as kidney stones, testicular torsion or priapism, a direct referral may be necessary. But even in these cases, it is often best to go through your PCP or the emergency room.

What Conditions Do Urologists Treat in Men and Women?

Urologists specialize in diseases of the urinary tract in both men and women, as well as male reproductive health. Our training includes five years of residency and an optional one to two years of specialized fellowship training. Though primary care doctors have deep medical knowledge, urologists have special expertise in issues that affect the kidneys, bladder and pelvic floor — and in men, fertility and sexual health.

In men, we treat erectile dysfunction, infertility, enlarged prostate and low testosterone. Common procedures include prostate surgery, testicular surgery and circumcision.

In women, we treat recurrent UTIs, overactive bladder, urinary incontinence and pelvic floor issues. Common procedures include sacral neuromodulation and Botox injections for overactive bladder.

For both men and women, we treat kidney stones and cancers of the bladder, kidney and ureter — and perform stone surgery and bladder tumor resection. Prostate and testicular cancer are specific to men. Some of these procedures require robotic surgery and others just use small instruments inside the body.

This is work that falls outside what a PCP is trained to do. You wouldn’t go to a primary care doctor to get a kidney stone removed, but you would go to your PCP first to make sure it is a kidney stone and not referred pain from somewhere else.

The Bottom Line: Your PCP and Urologist Work Together

Start by making sure you are getting all your general screening done by your PCP. They will then determine if you need to see us.

We all sometimes avoid going to the doctor. We’re busy, we don’t want to hear bad news or we hope a symptom will just go away on its own. But doing this can put your health at risk. Early detection is critical for a variety of urologic conditions, so don’t delay getting the care you need. Your physicians will work as a team to ensure you remain in optimal health.

This content is not AI generated.