Webinar: Common Pediatric Urology Issues for Infants

December 31, 2024

Mother, baby and stethoscope of pediatrician for healthcare consulting, check lungs and breathing for heartbeat. Doctor, happy infant kid and chest assessment in clinic, hospital and medical analysis

During Urology Awareness Month in September, the Department of Urology hosted a series of webinars for our patient community.

The third webinar in the series, titled “Common Pediatric Urology Issues for Infants,” featured Dr. Ardavan Akhavan, Director of Pediatric Minimally Invasive and Robotic Surgery and Chair of Quality and Patient Safety in the Department of Urology at Weill Cornell Medicine.

Dr. Akhavan provided in-depth information regarding the most common urological problems and disorders affecting infants, and outlined the treatment options for each of these, including:

Complications related to newborn circumcision
Hydrocele (fluid around the testicle) and hernia
Undescended testicle
Hydronephrosis (urine in the kidney)
Kidney blockage
Vesicoureteral reflux (when urine flows backwards from the bladder to one or both ureters and sometimes the kidney)

Often, these conditions resolve on their own, meaning that most don’t require surgery.

Here are a few examples:

An undescended testicle usually resolves by the time the infant is 6 months old. But if it fails to do so, a urologic surgeon like Dr. Akhavan can correct the problem.
Hydronephrosis—urine in the kidney, especially when accompanied by blockage—sometimes resolves on its own by age 4.
Reflux—when urine flows in the wrong direction—may resolve as well, depending on its severity.

Open vs. robotic surgery

Outcomes for open and robotic surgery are roughly the same. However, patients who undergo robotic surgery experience far less post-operative pain, shorter recovery times and shorter hospital stays compared to those who have open surgery.