Urology Specialists, S.C. - Jerome Hoeksema, M.D. & Laurence A. Levine, M.D.

Frequently Asked Questions

	What is an urologist? Is the doctor any good? Why do you need to see my insurance card again? I gave it to you the last time. Do the doctors stay on schedule? What do I do if I have an emergency? Can you validate my parking? How do I get a prescription refilled? Why can't I get my prescription refilled if I haven't seen the doctor in over a year? When do I get my biopsy results? Can you send my medical records to me/my doctor? Do you perform vasectomies in your office? Why can't I find out my surgery time early? Is there a hotel nearby and what does it cost? What instructions should I follow if I am having surgery? How successful are vasectomy reversals? I want to conceive with my wife, but I have no sperm in my ejaculate. What are my options?

	What is an urologist? An urologist is a physician/surgeon who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of men and women with disorders of the urinary tract as well as the male genital and reproductive system. The urinary tract consists of the kidneys, the bladder, the ureters, and the urethra.
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	Is the doctor any good? Our doctors have excellent training and experience, have published extensively, and are noted to be leaders in their field. Because our doctors are associated with an academic institution (Rush University Medical Center) they are often referred the more difficult cases by community-based urologists and as a result have performed many more specialized surgical procedures. Our doctors, as well as our office staff, have many years of experience helping people who are frightened or upset, and take the time to give personal attention and the confidence and support you need at a difficult time. Please feel free to read each physician's profile and curriculum vitae.
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	Why do you need to see my insurance card again? I gave it to you the last time. Insurance companies often issue new cards. There may be a change in the mailing address, the name of the insurance company, the group number or some other detail of the plan. We must always have the most current information in order to properly file your claim for reimbursement. If we rely on an old card and your claim is rejected, determining the reason for denial can be very time consuming. For this reason, we ask for, and date, a copy of your card at every visit. Your contract with your insurance company states that you must present your insurance card if you are not paying for the appointment, and you should always expect to do this. We realize that many times there are no changes that will effect the payment of your claim by your insurance company, but we have no way of knowing which times, and so we must make it a policy to get this information every time.
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	Do the doctors stay on schedule? Being a surgical specialty, emergencies do occur and may occasionally delay your being seen. We sometimes have no way of knowing at the time an appointment is scheduled that the doctor will need to run additional tests to properly treat/diagnose a patient. This may cause delays in his schedule. We apologize in advance for any delay this may cause you. However, we are certain you can appreciate the doctors' attention to patient care.
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	What do I do if I have an emergency? If you are experiencing a severe or life-threatening emergency, call 911 immediately. Our doctors always attempt to be available for emergencies. The best way to reach one of our physicians is to call the office at 312.563.5000 day or night. When the office is closed, we have a 24-hour answering service. After hours, our physicians carry 24-hour pagers and they arrrange for coverage when they will be unavailable.
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	Can you validate my parking? If you park in the parking garage adjacent to the Professional Building we can validate your ticket for a discounted rate. Please remember to bring your ticket with you. Unfortunately, we cannot validate or offer a discount for valet parking.
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	How do I get a prescription refilled? We prefer that you ask for prescription refills during your normally scheduled visit. However, if you need a prescription refilled prior to a visit, we ask that you have your pharmacy FAX us a refill request. Our FAX number is 312.563.5007. If your pharmacy is not able to FAX a request, please phone our office at 312.563.5000. You will need the following information: Your name Daytime telephone number with area code Prescribing physician name Your date of birth Name and spelling of the medication Approximate number of doses you have left Your pharmacy name and phone number with area code It is helpful to have the actual prescription bottle handy when you call. If you have only a few pills remaining, please indicate that the request is urgent. It is much better to contact our office before the situation is urgent to give ample time to consult with your physician if necessary.
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	Why can't I get my prescription refilled if I haven't seen the doctor in over a year? In order to appropriately manage your prescription medications, our physicians feel it is necessary to see you on a regular basis. A yearly visit allows them to monitor your progress and make informed prescription recommendations.
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	When do I get my biopsy results? Biopsies typically take three or more days to process. Either the physician or his clinical assistant will then telephone you within two days after our receipt of your biopsy report whether the results are positive or negative.
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	Can you send my medical records to me/my doctor? We would be happy to forward copies of your medical records at your request. Please complete the Authorization for Release of Confidential Health Information in the Forms section of this website and forward it to our office. You may either mail it to us at Urology Specialists, 1725 W Harrison St, Chicago, IL 60612 or FAX it to 312.563.5007. We ask that you give us ample time to complete these requests. However, we do understand that sometimes urgent situations do arise, so please always indicate when the records need to be received.
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	Do you perform vasectomies in your office? No, we do not perform vasectomies in the office. Vasectomies are performed in the Procedure Room which is located on the 5th floor of the Professional Building.
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	Why can't I find out my surgery time early? We try our best to accommodate requested surgery start times. However, both the Rush SurgiCenter and the hospital's operating rooms are run independently of Urology Specialists. These facilities accommodate all the surgeons here at Rush, not just our doctors. Every patient scheduled for surgery must be medically cleared. This requires great care in coordinating schedules. Unfortunately, they do not finalize their daily schedule until the prior afternoon.
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	Is there a hotel nearby and what does it cost? Yes, the Marriott - Chicago Downtown at Medical District/UIC is conveniently located one block east of the Medical Center. For more detailed information please contact them directly at 312.491.1234 or toll-free at 800.356.3641 or visit their website.
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	What instructions should I follow if I am having surgery? PREPARATION FOR SURGERY If you need a chest x-ray, EKG, and/or blood work, please insure that these studies are completed at least one week in advance of your surgery. If you are taking any medications, please make sure that your doctor is made aware of this in advance of your procedure. If you are taking any ibuprofen, aspirin or aspirin products, please stop taking them at least 10 days prior to your surgery. Please consult our list of other medications that you should discontinue prior to your surgery. If you have minor pain or headache in the ten days leading up to your surgery, you can take Tylenol, since this does not affect blood clotting. DAY BEFORE YOUR SURGERY To avoid cancellation of your procedure or complications during surgery, it is imperative that you do not eat or drink anything after midnight the day before your surgery including all medications unless specific instructions regarding special medications have been given. The hospital will contact you the evening prior to your surgery to inform you where and when you should arrive. You are generally asked to arrive 1 to 2 hours prior to your scheduled procedure. If for any reason you are not called, patients scheduled for the O.R. can call 312.942.6333 and patients scheduled for the SurgiCenter can call 312.563.2880. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call our office at 312.563.5000.
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	How successful are vasectomy reversals? In general, the longer the time interval after vasectomy, the lower the success rate. Typically, in men who had a vasectomy less than 15 years ago, 80% will have sperm in their ejaculate after a vasectomy reversal.
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	I want to conceive with my wife, but I have no sperm in my ejaculate. What are my options? This requires a specialized evaluation including physical exam, blood tests of fertility hormones, typically two semen analyses (if not already done), and possibly a scrotal ultrasound or testicle biopsy. If sperm are being made in the testicle, they can be retrieved by a needle retrieval technique known as TESA (TEsticular Sperm Aspiration). Urology Specialists, S.C. has extensive experience with this technique which allows couples to conceive using IVF techniques.
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