Locations
Office
Tuscaloosa, AL
Phone
Practice website
About
Bio
Dr. Matthew Thom recently joined the staff of West Alabama Urology Associates. Dr. Thom treats both benign and cancerous conditions and diseases of the genitourinary system. He has a special interest in minimally invasive/laparoscopic/robotic procedures for renal, prostate and bladder diseases. Dr. Thom treats both adults and children.
He received his doctorate of medicine degree from the Medical College of Georgia at the Georgia Health Sciences University in Augusta, Ga., and was elected as a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society. Dr. Thom completed his internship and residency training in urologic surgery at Washington University in St. Louis and was the recipient of the Resident in Excellence award.
Dr. Thom, a member of the American Urological Association and Endourological Society, is married with three young children.
SpecialtiesDoctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Doctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Urology
Languages spoken
English
Doctor Q&A
114 Answers
86 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 27-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Yes: Incidence rate of bladder cancer varies by state. Most recent reports show that the incidence of bladder cancer tends to be higher in northern us sta... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Asymptomatic: Prostatic cysts are typically discovered on ultrasound or other xray test and are relatively rare findings. Majority do not cause symptoms (unless la... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Yes: Most people have non-bacterial chronic prostatitis and are not improved with antibiotics. There are multiple prescription and non-prescription medica... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 21-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Different tumors: Over 90% of testis tumors are germ cell tumors which are seminoma, non-seminoma or mixed depending on the type of malignant cell. Classic seminoma i... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 46-year-old male asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Medication: Erectile dysfunction is a common problem in aging men and can be secondary to other medical conditions including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Usually surgery: Kidney cancer is primarily treated with surgery if the cancer is confined to the kidney. Depending on the size/location of the tumor, partial removal ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Pelvic exam: A pelvic exam by a urologist/gynecologist is the best way to diagnose pelvic organ prolapse (support problems). They can then discuss with you variou... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
VCUG: A voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG) is typically ordered by a pediatrician or urologist. Most commonly used to evaluated the lower urinary tract (bladd... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Hopefully few: The most common surgical risks are bleeding, damage to structures/organs surrounding the prostate and post-surgical infection. With the advancement o... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old female asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Twice daily: Treatment of phimosis (tight foreskin) can sometimes be treated with topical steriod cream applied twice daily with gentle retraction. Hopefully, ove... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 23-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
2-3 days: With appropriate treatment (correct antibiotic), symptoms of urinary tract infection should improve in 2-3 days. If your symptoms are not improving o... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 25-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Options: Not all varicoceles need to be treated. Reasons to fix a varicocele would be symptoms (pain), infertility (common finding with infertile men), and ado... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 20-year-old female asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Urge incontinence: Incontinence (unwanted leakage of urine) can be due to stress (activity, cough, strain) or urge (uncontrolled bladder contraction) or a combination of... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Xray test: Some men diagnosed with high-risk prostate cancer after prostate biopsy will undergo tests to evaluate for possible spread of disease to other parts o... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Multiple things: Groin and/or scrotal pain could be caused by multiple problems including hernia, infection of epididymis or testicle, benign orchalgia (chronic testic... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Never normal: It is never normal to pass blood in the urine. It could be a sign of underlying urinary tract problem. These include stones, infection, or cancer. ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 22-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Yes: Yes - and so do other drugs (tobacco, ilict drugs, alcohol).
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 28-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Varicocele?: Sounds like you may have a varicocele or dilation of veins supplying the testicle. More common on the left side, are generally described as "bag of wo... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Check T level: Feelings of low libido (sexual drive), fatigue, decreased energy can be signs of hypogonadism (low testosterone (t)). This can be determined with a si... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Not normal: Blood in the urine at any time is not normal and can indicate something wrong in the urinary tract. If you passed a stone 1 month prior, you should n... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Depends: Men with prostate cancer that has spread can live functional lives for many years. Treatment for metastatic disease is hormone ablation...Therapy tha... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Cause for concern: Doubling of the psa without any cause for the increase (for instance infection, prostatitis, recent prostate procedure) should be cause for concern. ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 25-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Sometimes: Reflux is the abnormal passage of urine from the bladder to the kidneys through the ureters, or urinary drainage tubes from the kidneys to the bladder... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
No: Infections of the kidney, or pyelonephritis, are not contagious and cannot be passed on to other people. They are caused by an infection of the urinar... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Not likely: Some individuals with signficant, chronic constipation can also have bothersome, dysfunctional lower urinary tract symptoms. However, having a large ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Maybe: Depends if you are symptomatic. Some older people, usually females, may have something called asymptomatic bacteriuria (urine tests performed by medi... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 49-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Could be BPH: You describe common symptoms of BPH or bothersome urinary symptoms caused by enlarged prostate. Symptoms include weak stream, difficulty starting stre... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Possible: While having erectile dysfunction (ed) should not be considered "normal" at any age, it can affect men at different ages. Ed is usually secondary to ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 23-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Yes: Prostatorrhea is an abnormal discharge from the prostate which may be seen during prostatitis. Prostatitis simply means inflammation of the prostate ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
No: Greenlight photovaporization of the prostate is a surgical procedure performed on men with bothersome lower urinary tract symptoms due to enlarged pro... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
One of many: Several pain medications are good for treatment of kidney stone pain including narcotics (like morphine) and non-narcotics (nonsteriodal anti-inflamat... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Lower testosterone: Orchiectomy and lhrh agonist medications are performed to lower the production of testosterone (fuel that promotes prostate cancer growth). Both will... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
No: Unaware of any link between Ambien (zolpidem) and prostatitis.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 26-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Possibly: Urinary tract infections that lead to infections of the kidneys, termed pyelonephritis, may lead to pain in the back.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Possible but rare: Rarely, chronic inflammatory conditions of the bladder including chronic infections or chronic catheterization can lead to bladder cancer.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
No: Not all varicoceles need to be treated. Reasons to fix a varicocele would be symptoms (pain), infertility (common finding with infertile men), and ad... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 28-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Could be infection: Urinary tract infections can cause urinary frequency, urgency and suprapubic (stomach) discomfort. This can only be diagnosed by testing your urine (... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Need evaluation: Could be several causes of pain and lump in the testicle, but the most concerning is testicular cancer. You need to be evaluated by your medical doct... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 72-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Yes: Radiation, surgery, ablative techniques and surveillence are all options for treatment of localized (has not spread or metatasized) prostate cancer de... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 19-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Need evaluation: Blood in the urine is not normal and it could be a sign of underlying urinary tract problem. These include stones, infection, or cancer. You need to b... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Typically surgery: Kidney cancer is primarily treated with surgery if the cancer is confined to the kidney. Depending on the size/location of the tumor, partial removal... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 21-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Can be: Certain hereditary syndromes including von hippel lindau, birt-hogg dube syndrome for example, increase risk of kidney cancer. These syndromes typica... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 54-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Stone in bladder: Bladder stones are typically found in people who have difficulty emptying the bladder (retention of urine) and chronic urinary tract infections. Can ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Maybe: Unfortunately, as men age, their prostates tend to grow usually causing more and more bothersome urinary symptoms. Certain medications (called 5-alpha... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 50-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
No: Depending on the size, penile cancer can be managed with topical chemotherapy, local excision, radiation, or radical surgery with removal of part or a... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Stress incontinence: You could have stress urinary incontinence which is urinary leakage caused by activity, cough, strain. Another type, termed urge incontinence, is due... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 29-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Urologist: You need evaluation by urologist or fertility specialist. If you do not produce anything with ejaculation (no semen), then your injury may have injur... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 47-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Not good: Advanced prostate cancer typically spreads to local/regional lymph nodes first including lymph nodes around the prostate/bladder. Other likely initia... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 27-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Lump in testicle: The most common sign of testicle cancer is a lump or mass in the testicle found by self-exam or exam by a medical provider. Occasionally, testis canc... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 29-year-old member asked:
Dr. Matthew Thomanswered
Urology 17 years experience
Sounds like BPH: You describe common symptoms of BPH or bothersome urinary symptoms caused by enlarged prostate. Symptoms include weak stream, difficulty starting stre... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
TestimonialsRecommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
Recommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
3
Recommendations
426
Thank you notes
HealthTap member
Mar 26, 2013
I highly recommend Dr. Thom. His response was accurate. My role as a 24/7 caregiver for a parent leaves me no time for personal activity. Not having diabetes or cardiovascular issues can mean that m...Read More
HealthTap member
Mar 30, 2015
Dr. Thom is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Mar 31, 2015
Dr. Thom is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Thanks. There are some adhesions underneath that make retraction difficult. Thanks fir answering with so much info- not something I can ask just anyone as a single mom.
HealthTap member
Thank you. Of course my priority is eliminating the cancer. I can't help having some curiosity as to what I might have to deal with after my treatment.
HealthTap member
thank you, i had not thought to ask about the supositories. this will help me ask the right question upon my return to my dr. thanx again
Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine, GA
Graduated 2006MD
Awards
HealthTap ClubMD
Affiliations
American urological association
Medical Association of Alabama
Tuscaloosa Medical Society
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