Disorders of the Urinary System
. Urologists are physicians who specialize in treating urinary system disorders. One of the most serious disorders urologists treat is renal failure, which slows or stops the filtration of blood, causing toxic waste products to build up in the blood. Acute renal failure, which occurs suddenly, may be caused by bacterial infection, injury, shock, congestive heart failure, drug poisoning, or severe bleeding following surgery. Treatment may include drugs to address the underlying cause or to stimulate proper kidney function, blood transfusions, surgery, or, in some cases, kidney dialysis , in which the blood is mechanically filtered. Chronic renal failure is a progressive deterioration of kidney function over a long period of time. It can be caused by diseases such as hypertension , diabetes, lupus erythematosus, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), and a form of cancer called myeloma. If diagnosed early the degenerative process can be slowed, but not reversed, by interventions tha