Females tend to have different problems with their bladder and urinary tract than males, and many of these problems can be resolved without surgery, says Elizabeth Ferry, MD, a specialist in female urology at Upstate. She describes common urinary tract problems that can occur at different stages in a woman‘s life, including kidney stones, infections, incontinence and prolapse, or dropped bladder. Many women don‘t seek treatment for these problems because they fear surgery is the only option, but urologists offer a variety of treatments, including medications, dietary changes and physical therapy, that don‘t necessarily involve surgery, and minimally invasive surgery is also an option, Ferry says.