USA Health welcomes reconstructive urologist
Jatinder Kumar, M.B.B.S., M.D., specializes in reconstructive procedures involving the urinary tract and certain reproductive organs. He will be the only reconstructive urologist on the upper Gulf Coast.
By Carol McPhail
cmcphail@health.southalabama.edu
USA Health is expanding its urology services with the addition of Jatinder Kumar, M.B.B.S., M.S., M.Ch., M.D., a urologist who specializes in reconstructive procedures involving the urinary tract and certain reproductive organs.
Kumar joins USA Health University Urology and will hold the academic title of assistant professor in the Department of Urology at the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine. He most recently was chief of the Department of Urology and director of outcomes research at the Armstrong Center for Medicine and Health in Kittanning, Pennsylvania.
In addition, Kumar will be the only reconstructive urologist on the Gulf Coast.
“With reconstructive urology, we aim to restore normal function by repairing, rerouting or recreating areas of the upper and lower urinary tract,” he said. “This helps patients by not only restoring function but also improving their quality of life.”
Patients may require reconstructive urology because of injuries, birth defects, medical conditions or complications from surgery or other treatment.
“Dr. Kumar’s unique skills and experience in reconstructive urology allows us to provide a wider range of treatment options for people in our region,” said Christopher E. Keel, D.O., FACS, associate professor and chair of the Department of Urology. “We are excited to welcome him to USA Health.”
Kumar earned a medical degree from Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Medical College in Meerut, India. He competed an internship at Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel Hospital in Meerut and residency in general surgery at King George’s Medical University in Lucknow, India. He went on to a residency in urology at the Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow, India, and a fellowship in advanced and reconstructive urology at the University of Florida in Jacksonville.
Kumar said he is drawn to academic medicine by the opportunity to teach and train residents. “I will have the opportunity to share new ideas and different ways of treating patients,” he said.
While at the University of Florida, Kumar started a program for holmium laser enucleation of the prostate, a minimally invasive procedure that uses laser pulses to remove tissue from inside an enlarged prostate. He also developed a program for mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy, a minimally invasive surgery that removes kidney stones through tiny incisions.
He is the author of more than 30 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals and has presented research at many national and international conferences. Kumar is a member of the American Urological Association and the Urological Society of India.
