About Us

Welcome to Cairns Urology where we aim to provide the best possible care.

This clinic provides a full range of Urological services with extensive equipment enabling us to perform procedures here or through the Day Surgery, whereas patients previously required hospitalisation. This is not only more convenient for our patients but is often at considerable cost savings.

CONSULTING ROOMS

Services provided at the Consulting Rooms include:

  • Urodynamics which is a study of bladder function and control of the bladder.
  • Prostate Biopsies which involves the use of ultrasound imaging of the prostate gland and sampling of that gland (biopsy) with a needle in order that specimens may be sent to the Pathologist for examination if there is suspicion of prostate cancer.
  • Biothesiometry and Doppler studies for assessment of impotence.
  • Ultrasound for bladder emptying.
  • Injection Therapy for Impotence.

DAY SURGERY

A large number of procedures can now be performed for patients with a single day stay only. These can be carried out at the patient’s choice of either Cairns Private Hospital or Cairns Day Surgery.

Procedure include:

  • Cystoscopy - looking into the bladder to assess the lining.
  • Transurethral Resection of Bladder Tumours;
  • Transurethral Resection of Prostate;
  • Visual Urethrotomy - treatment for urethral strictures or narrowing;
  • Cystoscopy and Retrograde Pyelograms - an x-ray where fine tubes are passed through the natural tubes to the kidneys and X-Rays taken;
  • Orchidectomy (removal of testicle);
  • Circumcision;
  • Vasectomy;
  • Vasectomy Reversal;
  • Penile straightening procedures
  • Lithotripsy - the destruction of kidney stones without the need for surgical incision or insertion of instruments internally;
  • Intravesical BCG - for treatment of bladder cancer;
  • Ureteroscopy for removal of stones in the ureter;
  • Cystolitholapoxy for removal of bladder stones;
  • Periurethral Contingen for incontinence;
  • Visual Urethrotomy for strictures;
  • Cryotherapy which is a freezing treatment for prostate cancer.

HOSTPITALISATION (In Patients)

In some cases the above procedures will require the patient to be kept in hospital overnight and in this case the procedure would be carried out at Cairns Private Hospital.

Admission Information

The Urologist will discuss the individual procedure with the patient prior to admission and the patient will be given a brochure outlining the procedure and post-operative care to ensure that they have as much information as possible prior to going into hospital.

FEE POLICY

The fees charged in this practice at based upon those that the Australian Medical Association considers fair, reasonable and appropriate for services provided.

There are out of pocket costs for consultation fees for patients in hospital, including costs for after hours visits, depending on the time of day and length of consultation.Medicare does not give increased rebates for Consultant Surgeons’ consultations in hospital and does not give an increased rebate for after hours consultations. Although, the combination of Medicare and private hospital insurance will cover fees up to the level of the Government schedule fee.
Pre-payment is required for any non-rebatable consultations or procedures such as Vasectomy Reversal and Cryotherapy.

Please note that non-payment of accounts will incur accounting fees and accounts outstanding over 3 months will be charged interest at the current financial institution rate.

Consultations

Consultations in the Surgery
All patients are required to pay their account on the day of service, including those who have had procedures performed. These payments can be made by cash, cheque or credit card. The patient will be issued with a receipt which can be presented immediately to Medicare for a rebate of 85% of the Government Schedule Fee for consultations. Private health funds will not pay on consultations or procedures not carried out in hospital.

Consultations in Hospital
Accounts for consultations in hospital will be sent out after the patient has been discharged. There may be a GAP payment between the schedule fee and the amount charged based upon the length and time of the consultation. Please note: Medicare does not give higher rebates for after hours and weekend consultations.

Procedures

Every patient is given an estimate of costs prior to admission. Booking fees are payable prior to procedures being carried out in hospital. Full details will be provided prior to admission. Veterans’ Affairs - All eligible Veterans’ Affairs patients are fully covered for services provided at this clinic by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

Request Forms
For examination at the radiology practices or pathology practices, which are given to patients for tests to be carried out should be kept in a safe place until taken to those practices. If those request forms have to be reissued because they have been lost, then an additional charge may apply.Prescriptions - A charge will apply for repeat prescriptions or prescriptions supplied without consultation.

Cancellations
If a patient fails to arrive for an appointment without notification then a charge may be incurred for the missed appointment.

“Natural” Medications, Vitamins & Herbal Remedies.
It is very important that you notify us of any “natural” medications, vitamins or herbal remedies you are taking. It may be necessary for you to stop taking these medications to enable prescribed medications to have their correct effect. We are not able to predict and there may be no knowledge of the fact that there may be interactions which are unrecognised and unpredictable from a combination of “natural” therapies and prescription medication. If you are taking “natural remedies”, there is no scientific proof that the “natural” substance provides any therapeutic benefit.

The product has not been designed to treat or cure any recognised disease or condition, and it may cause an adverse reaction with the drugs that I believe are necessary to prescribe for you. I suggest that you cease taking the herbal remedies until the problem for which you have been consulted by me has been cleared up. It can not be predicted with any medical certainty or even probability that there may be experiences of adverse reactions. We just do not know. There have been no studies that have investigated this, and consequently you need to be made aware that there is a potential risk.

PATIENT INFORMATION BROCHURES

Patient Information Brochures are available on:

  • PSA and Testing for Prostate Cancer.
  • Transurethral Resection of Prostate.
  • Transurethral Resection of Bladder Tumours.
  • TRUS and Biopsy (Prostate Cancer Testing)
  • Radical Prostatectomy.
  • Management of Recurrent Urinary Tract Infection.
  • Urodynamics.
  • Lithotripsy (ESWL)
  • Ureteroscopy.
  • Vasectomy.
  • Vasectomy Reversal.
  • Day Surgery - Post-operative care.
  • Management of Catheter.
  • Clean Intermittent Self Catheterisation Male.
  • Clean Intermittent Self Catheterisation Female.
  • Peyronie’s Disease.
  • Visual Urethrotomy.
  • Cryotherapy.