Dr. Ryan Malone (along with Dr. Ganesh Kartha and Charity Welch, NP) have partnered with Schneck Medical Center to open a new urology practice in Seymour. The new practice will allow patients to receive urology services locally with timely appointments and attention to patient care and service.
Listen in as Dr. Ryan Malone discusses his new partnership with Schneck Medical Center.
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Partnering With Schneck To Open A New Urology Practice In Seymour
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Learn more about Ryan Malone, MD
Ryan Malone, MD
Ryan Malone, MD graduated from medical school at the University of Louisville School of medicine. He then completed a urology residency and surgery internship at the Ohio State University Medical Center. A native of Murray, Kentucky, Dr. Malone knew he wanted to be a doctor at the age of eight. He loves spending time with his family, being outdoors, and playing sports in his free time.Learn more about Ryan Malone, MD
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Partnering With Schneck To Open A New Urology Practice In Seymour
Bill Klaproth (Host): A quarter to a third of men and women in the U.S. suffer from urinary incontinence. Add in urinary tract infections as well as other diseases of the urinary tract system and it's easy to understand why urologists are in demand. Here to talk with us about their new urology center, First Urology of Schneck Medical Center, is Dr. Ryan Malone. Dr. Malone, thank you for your time. So, conditions of the urinary tract are numerous. What condition do you see most?
Dr. Ryan Malone (Guest): We see a number of patients with urinary incontinence and urinary frequency. We also diagnose and treat patients who come in with blood in the urine.
Bill: So, are those just normal conditions of aging?
Dr. Malone: They can be related to aging. There can also be medical problems that can create that situation regardless of age and an appropriate evaluation can help distinguish between the two.
Bill: So, what are the symptoms that we should be watching out for?
Dr. Malone: Oftentimes, the symptoms are found at the time of an evaluation with a primary care physician through a careful history-taking with the patient. Also, if you are bothered by the number of times you wake up at night to urinate, that is a symptom. Certainly, if you have any pain with urination or visibly see blood in the urine, that would be something that would prompt an evaluation.
Bill: So, that's one of those “immediately call your physician and make an appointment”. But, for the aging where you have to get up several times in the night, I would imagine some men and women choose to live with it. When is it really time to see the doctor when they notice that happening?
Dr. Malone: Oftentimes urinary urgency and frequency is a quality of life symptom and not medically threatening. Therefore, I encourage patients to come in when they feel it is affecting their quality of life such as their sleep pattern and, oftentimes, patients will elect not to leave the house, or certainly plan their day around where the bathrooms are located. So, if it's affecting how you run your life throughout the day, then there are options available.
Bill: Yes, that is something when it starts to affect your daily life, when you're thinking about those types of things. So, as you age, these things start to happen. Do you generally, then, treat them with medications? Is that your first line of treatment?
Dr. Malone: First line of treatment is to look at what patients are doing that might be in their diet and/or lifestyle that might have an impact and sometimes, those modifications can have a great improvement in urinary symptoms. After a physical evaluation and ruling out physical causes that can create that scenario, then medications would be a second line of treatment. Once we have gone through the appropriate medications and determined whether or not those are going to be adequate, there are some third line treatments that can be available in certain situations.
Bill: So, you just brought up lifestyle and diet. Are there preventative tips or ways, then, to prevent these urinary tract problems from happening?
Dr. Malone: Caffeine and cigarettes dramatically irritate the bladder. Some patients have more of that in their diet than they're aware of and if we can limit those, oftentimes their symptoms are much more manageable. Patients also will take certain medications that make them thirsty and they drink a large amount of fluid before going to bed and, as a result, they will get up multiple times at night to get rid of the fluid that they've taken in in the evenings.
Bill: So, those are good tips for someone to take heed if they are starting to have these problems. So, number one, lifestyle and diet; number two, then, the second way that you treat this is with medications. Can you talk about that third line a little bit more then, for us?
Dr. Malone: Alright. So, one of the things that we offer for overactive bladder and difficulty with urination once medications and lifestyle modifications have failed to address the problem, would be Botox injections into the bladder, is an option that's done through a simple outpatient procedure that does not require anesthesia. There is also the possibility of placing a neuromodulation device and a simple way to consider that procedure would be similar to a pacemaker for the bladder, where there's a little electrical stimulation to the bladder that's permanently implanted under the skin and it helps modulate the signal to the bladder so that it functions more effectively.
Bill: So, how often do you have to go to these third line defenses? Are number one, lifestyle and diet changes; two, medication. Do those usually take care of it? Is it rare for you to have to talk about the Botox injection?
Dr. Malone: The third line therapies are going to be somewhere under 10% of patients, which doesn't sound like a large number; however, we see such a high volume of patients with this condition, it ends up not being an insignificant total number of patients that move on to third line therapy.
Bill: Okay. So, you diagnose a full range of urinary needs. What are some of the most complicated conditions you treat, then?
Dr. Malone: So, we treat cancers of the urinary tract and kidney stones as well. Anywhere from kidney cancer, bladder cancer, prostate cancer, testicular cancer. We also treat kidney stones anywhere along the urinary tract in multiple ways, ranging from scope and laser treatment to shockwave lithotripsy treatment, to open stone surgery.
Bill: So, that brings me to your new state-of-the-art technology. Can you tell us more about the new state-of-the-art technology and specialized training at the First Urology of Schneck?
Dr. Malone: So, First Urology offers a wide range of treatments for all conditions within urology. Specifically, we are robotically trained and Schneck Medical Center does have a robot available. We have a very good radiation center available and we work in combination with radiation and medical oncologists to deliver multi-modal therapy for different urologic cancers. We do offer lithotripsy at Schneck Medical Center with a table and device that is brought in on an as-needed basis, so that we can treat patients in a minimally-invasive way, where in the past we would make a large incision and the recovery was approximately one month, the recovery now can be as little as 24 hours.
Bill: So, for someone that has a more serious issue, say, cancers of the kidney or bladder, if someone were to catch that early, do you have a good efficacy rate for treating it and possibly getting that person into remission, then?
Dr. Malone: So, not only remission, but if it can be removed at an early stage, it is surgically curable and would not require additional therapy. So, it really is a preventive measure to have those things evaluated early when symptoms first show up, the number one of which would be blood in the urine.
Bill: So, that is really the first thing to look out for is blood in the urine. That is the first warning sign?
Dr. Malone: If the patient sees that, that should prompt an immediate evaluation.
Bill: Is there one that's not so recognizable as blood in the urine that we should be watching out for? What would be number two for that?
Dr. Malone: Oftentimes, those tests are performed through the primary care physician, such as PSA screening; blood in the urine can show up as a microscopic value that's only found through lab testing and is not seen visually. Flank pain or pain in the upper or lower back would prompt imaging which can take a look at the kidneys to rule out tumor and/or kidney stone.
Bill: Okay. Those are good things definitely to look out for. So, with these new advancements that are happening, Dr. Malone, you've got to feel confident that you have the tools to succeed when someone has a urinary problem.
Dr. Malone: Absolutely.
Bill: Well, that's very good to hear and the First Urology at Schneck sounds like a terrific new center. So, if you could, just tell us a little bit more: why should someone choose First Urology of Schneck for their urology care?
Dr. Malone: First Urology of Schneck Medical Center offers a wide range urologic initial evaluation and advance treatment. The hospital is very well equipped to handle all of these conditions and we have multiple urologists that are available and service First Urology of Schneck Medical Center with sub-specialization within the group for a variety of urologic conditions.
Bill: Dr. Malone, thank you again for your time. For more information visit www.schneckmed.org. That's www.schneckmed.org. This is Schneck Radio, I'm Bill Klaproth, thanks for listening.
Partnering With Schneck To Open A New Urology Practice In Seymour
Bill Klaproth (Host): A quarter to a third of men and women in the U.S. suffer from urinary incontinence. Add in urinary tract infections as well as other diseases of the urinary tract system and it's easy to understand why urologists are in demand. Here to talk with us about their new urology center, First Urology of Schneck Medical Center, is Dr. Ryan Malone. Dr. Malone, thank you for your time. So, conditions of the urinary tract are numerous. What condition do you see most?
Dr. Ryan Malone (Guest): We see a number of patients with urinary incontinence and urinary frequency. We also diagnose and treat patients who come in with blood in the urine.
Bill: So, are those just normal conditions of aging?
Dr. Malone: They can be related to aging. There can also be medical problems that can create that situation regardless of age and an appropriate evaluation can help distinguish between the two.
Bill: So, what are the symptoms that we should be watching out for?
Dr. Malone: Oftentimes, the symptoms are found at the time of an evaluation with a primary care physician through a careful history-taking with the patient. Also, if you are bothered by the number of times you wake up at night to urinate, that is a symptom. Certainly, if you have any pain with urination or visibly see blood in the urine, that would be something that would prompt an evaluation.
Bill: So, that's one of those “immediately call your physician and make an appointment”. But, for the aging where you have to get up several times in the night, I would imagine some men and women choose to live with it. When is it really time to see the doctor when they notice that happening?
Dr. Malone: Oftentimes urinary urgency and frequency is a quality of life symptom and not medically threatening. Therefore, I encourage patients to come in when they feel it is affecting their quality of life such as their sleep pattern and, oftentimes, patients will elect not to leave the house, or certainly plan their day around where the bathrooms are located. So, if it's affecting how you run your life throughout the day, then there are options available.
Bill: Yes, that is something when it starts to affect your daily life, when you're thinking about those types of things. So, as you age, these things start to happen. Do you generally, then, treat them with medications? Is that your first line of treatment?
Dr. Malone: First line of treatment is to look at what patients are doing that might be in their diet and/or lifestyle that might have an impact and sometimes, those modifications can have a great improvement in urinary symptoms. After a physical evaluation and ruling out physical causes that can create that scenario, then medications would be a second line of treatment. Once we have gone through the appropriate medications and determined whether or not those are going to be adequate, there are some third line treatments that can be available in certain situations.
Bill: So, you just brought up lifestyle and diet. Are there preventative tips or ways, then, to prevent these urinary tract problems from happening?
Dr. Malone: Caffeine and cigarettes dramatically irritate the bladder. Some patients have more of that in their diet than they're aware of and if we can limit those, oftentimes their symptoms are much more manageable. Patients also will take certain medications that make them thirsty and they drink a large amount of fluid before going to bed and, as a result, they will get up multiple times at night to get rid of the fluid that they've taken in in the evenings.
Bill: So, those are good tips for someone to take heed if they are starting to have these problems. So, number one, lifestyle and diet; number two, then, the second way that you treat this is with medications. Can you talk about that third line a little bit more then, for us?
Dr. Malone: Alright. So, one of the things that we offer for overactive bladder and difficulty with urination once medications and lifestyle modifications have failed to address the problem, would be Botox injections into the bladder, is an option that's done through a simple outpatient procedure that does not require anesthesia. There is also the possibility of placing a neuromodulation device and a simple way to consider that procedure would be similar to a pacemaker for the bladder, where there's a little electrical stimulation to the bladder that's permanently implanted under the skin and it helps modulate the signal to the bladder so that it functions more effectively.
Bill: So, how often do you have to go to these third line defenses? Are number one, lifestyle and diet changes; two, medication. Do those usually take care of it? Is it rare for you to have to talk about the Botox injection?
Dr. Malone: The third line therapies are going to be somewhere under 10% of patients, which doesn't sound like a large number; however, we see such a high volume of patients with this condition, it ends up not being an insignificant total number of patients that move on to third line therapy.
Bill: Okay. So, you diagnose a full range of urinary needs. What are some of the most complicated conditions you treat, then?
Dr. Malone: So, we treat cancers of the urinary tract and kidney stones as well. Anywhere from kidney cancer, bladder cancer, prostate cancer, testicular cancer. We also treat kidney stones anywhere along the urinary tract in multiple ways, ranging from scope and laser treatment to shockwave lithotripsy treatment, to open stone surgery.
Bill: So, that brings me to your new state-of-the-art technology. Can you tell us more about the new state-of-the-art technology and specialized training at the First Urology of Schneck?
Dr. Malone: So, First Urology offers a wide range of treatments for all conditions within urology. Specifically, we are robotically trained and Schneck Medical Center does have a robot available. We have a very good radiation center available and we work in combination with radiation and medical oncologists to deliver multi-modal therapy for different urologic cancers. We do offer lithotripsy at Schneck Medical Center with a table and device that is brought in on an as-needed basis, so that we can treat patients in a minimally-invasive way, where in the past we would make a large incision and the recovery was approximately one month, the recovery now can be as little as 24 hours.
Bill: So, for someone that has a more serious issue, say, cancers of the kidney or bladder, if someone were to catch that early, do you have a good efficacy rate for treating it and possibly getting that person into remission, then?
Dr. Malone: So, not only remission, but if it can be removed at an early stage, it is surgically curable and would not require additional therapy. So, it really is a preventive measure to have those things evaluated early when symptoms first show up, the number one of which would be blood in the urine.
Bill: So, that is really the first thing to look out for is blood in the urine. That is the first warning sign?
Dr. Malone: If the patient sees that, that should prompt an immediate evaluation.
Bill: Is there one that's not so recognizable as blood in the urine that we should be watching out for? What would be number two for that?
Dr. Malone: Oftentimes, those tests are performed through the primary care physician, such as PSA screening; blood in the urine can show up as a microscopic value that's only found through lab testing and is not seen visually. Flank pain or pain in the upper or lower back would prompt imaging which can take a look at the kidneys to rule out tumor and/or kidney stone.
Bill: Okay. Those are good things definitely to look out for. So, with these new advancements that are happening, Dr. Malone, you've got to feel confident that you have the tools to succeed when someone has a urinary problem.
Dr. Malone: Absolutely.
Bill: Well, that's very good to hear and the First Urology at Schneck sounds like a terrific new center. So, if you could, just tell us a little bit more: why should someone choose First Urology of Schneck for their urology care?
Dr. Malone: First Urology of Schneck Medical Center offers a wide range urologic initial evaluation and advance treatment. The hospital is very well equipped to handle all of these conditions and we have multiple urologists that are available and service First Urology of Schneck Medical Center with sub-specialization within the group for a variety of urologic conditions.
Bill: Dr. Malone, thank you again for your time. For more information visit www.schneckmed.org. That's www.schneckmed.org. This is Schneck Radio, I'm Bill Klaproth, thanks for listening.