- With Mayo Clinic urologist
Erik Castle, M.D.
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Erik Castle, M.D.
Erik Castle, M.D.
Dr. Erik Castle is a board-certified urologist who joined the Mayo Clinic staff in Arizona in 2007.
Dr. Castle is an associate professor of urology at College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, and a senior associate consultant in the Department of Urology, where he also is assistant residency coordinator.
He was an assistant professor in the Department of Urology at Tulane University in New Orleans from 2004 to 2006 after serving as a clinical instructor/fellow at Mayo Clinic in Arizona for one year.
Dr. Castle's research interests include prostate cancer, bladder cancer and kidney cancer. He is the director of the Desert Mountain Prostate Cancer Research Fund and is the principal investigator of Castle labs housed at the Samuel C. Johnson Medical Research building at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. His basic science research is focused on novel secondary hormonal therapies of prostate cancer as well as genomics of prostate and bladder cancer.
His surgical expertise includes laparoscopic urology, robot-assisted radical prostatectomy with nerve sparing, robot-assisted radical cystectomy with neobladder, robot-assisted retroperitoneal lymph node dissection, robot-assisted partial nephrectomy and other robotic urologic oncology procedures. He has performed many of these procedures as demonstrations internationally. He is a member of the American Association of Clinical Urologists, the American Urological Association, the Endourological Society, and the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons. He is president of the international Society of Urologic Robotic Surgeons. He is also the director of the international laparoscopic nephrectomy courses throughout Mexico on behalf of the American Urologic Association.
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Question
Bladder outlet obstruction: Causes in men?
My doctor says I have a bladder outlet obstruction. Is this serious? What causes a bladder obstruction in men?
Answer
from Erik Castle, M.D.
Bladder outlet obstruction refers to any condition that blocks urine flow from the bladder into the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of your body. Bladder outlet obstruction has many possible causes, but the most common cause is enlarged prostate. Other causes include:
- Prostate cancer
- Narrowing of the urethra from infection, injury or surgery
- Scarring of the bladder outlet from injury or surgery
- Bladder stones
Bladder outlet obstruction may also occur as a side effect of certain medications, such as antihistamines and decongestants.
Bladder outlet obstruction can cause a wide range of symptoms, including weak or intermittent urine stream, difficulty starting urination, inability to urinate, and a sensation of not being able to completely empty your bladder. Treatment depends on the underlying cause. If not treated, bladder obstruction can lead to bladder stones, bladder infection and even permanent damage to the bladder muscle and kidneys.
If you have signs or symptoms of bladder outlet obstruction, consult your doctor. Prompt diagnosis and treatment is important to prevent serious complications.
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