Dr Rui Graça joined the Life Springs Parkland Hospital family specialising in urology.
After qualifying at Wits (MBBCh) in November 1990, and concluding his internship at Baragwanath Hospital, he completed his (FRCS) Fellowship of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons in Edinburgh in November 1996.
He obtained his FCS (SA) in urology in April 1998.
Graça worked as a urologist in private practice at the Netcare Union in Alberton, the Mulbarton Hospital and at Life Roseacres Hospital in Primrose.
He also worked in the UK for a few years at the Cheltenham General and Gloucester Royal Hospitals.
Graça also has special interest in male sexual health, focusing on low testosterone problems and erectile dysfunction.
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Why did you choose to sub-specialise in urology?
It is actually quite interesting, because initially I wanted to be a plastic surgeon but there was a two to three-year waiting list just to get into the rotation.
The head of urology where I was said they needed someone and he wanted me to join his team.
I asked when I could start, and he said on Monday.
Once I started I really enjoyed it.
Here I am 22 years later.
How important is it to do checkups instead of waiting until you feel like something is wrong?
You should not wait to have symptoms.
Most of the time, by the time you get symptoms it is often too late.
Prostate cancer is the most common in men.
The prevalence in black men and white men is the same. However, it tends to be more aggressive in black men.
It does kill a lot of black men.
It is a slow growing disease, but the sooner we catch it the better.
I think the blood test and ultrasound makes the patients feel comfortable and if we pick it up early the procedure to treat it can be rather simple.
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How often should a healthy person be consulting you?
Female patients with renal problems such as kidney stones, and those suffering from bladder incontinence or frequent infections should be referred to see a Urologist as soon as possible.
For men, from the age of 40 they should do checkups every two years, and then from 46 years old they should have a checkup every year.
The testicular examinations are important for teenage boys and men in their early twenties.
In the same way women are encouraged to examine their breasts for lumps, young men should do the same for their testicles.
This only needs to be done every one to two months.
What has it been like treating patients during the Covid-19 lockdown period?
Part of the problem is that people are too scared to come out of the house to consult the doctor or go to the hospital.
They would rather sit with a symptom at home.
These things can really become problematic.
Patients are waiting too long to seek medical attention.
Some of them will get sick and die from problems that could have been resolved.
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