Department of Urology

Department of Urology and treats all diseases of the urinary and spermatic tracts, from infants to the elderly, from medical to surgical treatment, for both men and women. The urinary tract is the path through which urine flows. Urine produced in the kidneys passes through the ureters, is stored in the bladder, and is then discharged from the urethra. The spermatic tract (male reproductive organs) is the path through which sperm produced in the testes flow, passing through the epididymis and vas deferens, and joining the urethra at the prostate, which is located just below the bladder. The adrenal glands, located just above the kidneys, are also a subject of Department of Urology research. Because we deal with so many organs, our research fields are diverse, including not only benign and malignant tumors, but also urogenital infections, kidney transplants, urinary function, pediatric urology, and male sexual dysfunction.

Modern medicine is now in an era where we are required to choose the best treatment from among multiple options while balancing both scientific evidence and the patient's values. In every field, it is necessary to introduce rapid and accurate diagnostic techniques and minimally invasive treatments that provide a high quality of life. Therefore, our main themes include the development of image-assisted systems to achieve safe surgery, the development of endoscopic, laparoscopic and robotic-assisted surgery, and the development of safe treatments that preserve organ function as much as possible. Regarding kidney transplantation, we aim to further maintain and improve the transplant kidney survival rate, which is already one of the highest in Japan.

In basic research, we are conducting activities such as analyzing the mechanism by which uropathogenic E. coli acquires drug resistance, developing rapid diagnostic methods for the drug sensitivity of bacteria that cause urinary tract infections, developing non-invasive and minimally invasive methods for the early diagnosis of malignant tumors, and developing new anti-cancer drug therapies for advanced renal cancer.