Ricardo R. Gonzalez, MD, Author at Grand Rounds in Urology

Ricardo R. Gonzalez, MD

Houston Methodist Hospital Academic Institute

Houston, Texas

Ricardo R. Gonzalez, MD, in an Associate Professor of Clinical Urology and Program Director of the FPMRS Fellowship at the Houston Methodist Hospital Academic Institute in Houston, Texas. He is an internationally-recognized expert in minimally-invasive treatments for voiding dysfunction. For men, he is an expert in surgical therapies for BPH, including GreenLight laser vaporization of the prostate, enucleation (HoLEP and GreenLEP), Rezum, Urolift, Aquablation and others. He currently holds a Center of Excellence Certification for both GreenLight and Rezum. He has been invited to teach laser surgery throughout the U.S. and in 17 foreign countries. His research includes the development and evaluation of minimally invasive treatments that improve voiding function in men while preserving sexual function. His focus also encompasses the evaluation and management in urinary incontinence and pelvic floor reconstruction and functional restoration in women. His goal is to provide state-of-the-art urologic care to improve patients’ quality of life, especially with urinary and sexual quality of life.

Dr. Gonzalez was the former Medical Director for the Centers for Voiding Dysfunction and Clinical Research at Houston Metro Urology. He has joined the full-time academic faculty at Houston Methodist Hospital with faculty affiliations at Weil Cornell and Baylor College of Medicine. He is a graduate of Stanford University School of Medicine and completed his residency and fellowship at Cornell in New York City. He currently practices urology with a focus on voiding dysfunction and pelvic restorative medicine reconstructive surgery in The Texas Medical Center in Houston, TX. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Urology (ABU) and has earned board subspecialty certification in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery (FPMRS).

Talks by Ricardo R. Gonzalez, MD

Optimizing In-Office Management for BPH, by the Numbers

Posted by Ricardo R. Gonzalez, MD | Feb 2024

Ricardo R. Gonzalez, MD, outlines an algorithm to determine optimal in-office BPH treatment options for both patient and practice. Dr. Gonzalez begins by categorizing BPH treatment options by risk and benefit, ranging from non-invasive to open surgical options.

While categorizing BPH treatment options, Dr. Gonzales gives examples of optimal treatment options based on patient presentation and priorities. He walks through the algorithm based on different patient priorities, emphasizing that a systemic approach to BPH treatment is necessary to pair the correct treatment with individual patients.

Loops, Lasers, Robots, Staples, and Steam: What to Offer for BPH Today and Tomorrow?

Posted by Ricardo R. Gonzalez, MD | Jan 2024

Ricardo R. Gonzalez, MD, presents current and emerging novel treatment options for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). He begins by establishing appropriate categorization of Minimally Invasive Surgical Therapies (MIST) versus Surgical (OR) treatment options for BPH, and the patient criteria for each.

Dr. Gonzalez then presents current FDA-approved MIST options for BPH, including steam-based treatments, devices, and implant options, and FDA-approved OR options, including water-based ablation treatments. He then presents patient examples of the presented treatment options, discussing the pros and cons of each option for the patient.

Dr. Gonzalez then discusses emerging treatment options for BPH which have not yet been approved by the FDA. He discusses nitinol prostate stents as an emerging MIST option, and laparoscopic shunting to decrease testosterone around the prostate as an emerging OR option.