Urology

Paediatric urology services at the Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital are provided by two consultant paediatric urologists along with team of junior doctors, outreach nurses, Norfolk Physiology Unit, play therapists and hypospadias nurse.

Commonly seen in our unit:

• Antenatal management of renal dilatations
• Undescended testes
• Hypospadias
• Urinary incontinence
• Vesicoureteric reflux (including endoscopic treatment/STING injections)
• Congenital renal abnormalities
• Paediatric stones disease (open and endoscopic)
• Posterior urethral valves
• Circumcision (child)

The unit has particular expertise in:

Laparoscopic (key hole) renal surgery

The unit provides laparoscopic management for disorders of kidney nephrectomy, heminephrectomy and pyeloplasty. The success rate of these procedures is very high and the experience has been peer reviewed and published in the international forum. The unit also provides STING procedures for vesicoureteric reflux. Stone surgery is undertaken in the minimally invasive ways of PCNL and ureteroscopy in conjunction with adult urology surgeons.

Hypospadias Surgery

The department has vast experience and expertise in management of hypospadias of varying complexities. We have improving the care with a streamlined approach for these patients. The unit is holding an international conference on patients with hypospadias and intersex surgery.

Bladder dysfunction

The unit runs a bimonthly bladder dysfunction clinic which caters to needs of children with urinary incontinence. The treatment is supported by non invasive as well as complete urodynamics assessments provided through children’s only sessions at the Norfolk Physiology Unit. Children’s Physiotherapy department participates in some of the management modalities for these children.

The unit has close links with adult urologists and paediatric nephrology services provided locally by Dr Chris Upton. Tertiary nephrology services are provided through link with Nottingham Children’s Hospital. We have strong Links with Great Ormond Street Hospital and Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham to provide a comprehensive care for children with needs of Nephrology and Urology care. We work closely with adult urologist Mr Neil Burgess  for management of complex cases and transitional care arrangements.

We provide specialist tertiary care for children’s surgery for children in Norfolk and some areas of Suffolk. We provide outreach clinics at James Paget University Hospital (monthly), Ipswich Hospital  (every two months) and Queen Elizabeth Hospital at King’s Lynn (every two months). We have established arrangement to smoothen the transition of care from paediatric age group to adult services.

Inpatient care is provided in Buxton Ward while the outpatient clinics are mainly held in Jenny Lind Outpatients with outreach clinics at surrounding hospitals. Day admissions are undertaken either in Children’s Day Ward or at Children’s Day Procedure Unit. We have dedicated theatre for children’s surgery and day procedures.

Useful Urology Related Leaflets:

• Looking after your child’s suprapubic catheter
• Looking after your child’s urethral catheter fixme

Consultants

Mr Milind Kulkarni FEAPU(Paed Urol), FRACS (Paed Surg), FRCS (Paed Surg), MS, MCh.
Job Title: Consultant Paediatric Surgeon and Urologist,
Honorary Lecturer, University of East Anglia
Clinical Director, Paediatrics, Paediatric Surgery and Neonatology
Special Interests: Laparoscopic surgery, hypospadias surgery, urinary incontinence and antenatal hydronephrosis
Contact Tel: 01603 286348
Email: milind.kulkarni@nnuh.nhs.uk

Outreach Nurses

Margaret Bird
Job Title: Children’s Outreach Nurse

Julia Fothergill
Job Title: Children’s Outreach Nurse

Secretaries

Karen Edwards
Contact Tel: 01603 286348
Email: karen.edwards@nnuh.nhs.uk

Clair Robertson
Contact Tel: 01603 286149
Email: clair.robertson@nnuh.nhs.uk

Paediatric Urology Specialist Nurse

Jo Parr
Contact Tel: 01603 287550

Play Therapy

Judy Holland
Job Title: Play therapist Norfolk Physiology Unit

Brenda Fuller
Job Title: Urodynamics Nurse

Richard Lowndes
Job Title: Head of Physiology Services

Clinical Research

The unit is very active in clinical research and has presented nearly 15 papers over last 5 years at various national and international conferences. Monthly research and audit meetings are held to promote research and improve the clinical outcomes. The unit hosted an international conference on Hypospadias and Intersex disorders in Children in September 2011.

The clinical research is conducted in areas of hypospadias surgery to improve patient experience, laparoscopic surgery to look at safety and efficacy of these procedures in children. List of research presentation and publications can be found below.

For Healthcare Professionals

The department accepts primary care referrals from GPs and referrals from paediatricians, general surgeons and urologists from secondary care in the region of East Anglia. We undertake clinics at NNUH, James Paget University Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn and Ipswich Hospital.

Contact

Department of Paediatric Surgery and Urology
Level 3, West Block
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital
Colney Lane
Norwich
NR4 7UY

Telephone: 01603 286348 or 01603 286149

Email: paed.urology@nnuh.nhs.uk