How to Pronounce Urinary Fistula

Say it like this: YOOR-ih-nair-ee FIS-choo-lah. The first word rhymes with 'jury,' and the second word sounds like 'fistula' with the stress on the first syllable. Put the strongest stress on YOOR in the first word.

Urinary means 'related to urine or the system that makes and stores urine.' It comes from the Latin word 'urina,' which means urine. Any time you see 'urinary' in a medical word, it's talking about something connected to urine or the urinary system.

A fistula is an abnormal tunnel or opening between two body parts or between an inside part and the skin. Think of it as an unwanted passageway that shouldn't be there. The word comes from Latin and originally meant 'pipe' or 'tube.'

It has six syllables total: u-ri-nar-y fis-tu-la. Break them up as: YOOR (1) + ih (2) + NAIR (3) + ee (4) + FIS (5) + choo (6) + lah (7). Wait—that's actually seven syllables when you count them all out carefully!

The stress falls on the first syllable of each word: YOOR-ih-nair-ee and FIS-choo-lah. A common mistake is putting stress on the second or third syllable, but the strongest emphasis should be on YOOR and FIS.

You'll see 'fistula' in other medical terms like 'arteriovenous fistula' (between an artery and vein) and 'anal fistula' (near the anus). Doctors sometimes use the short form 'fistula' by itself when talking about any abnormal opening like this.

Here's an example: 'The doctor explained that a urinary fistula is an opening that allows urine to leak where it shouldn't.' You might also hear someone say 'She has a fistula' as shorthand for the full term.

Both relate to the urinary system, but they describe different parts. 'Urinary' is the general term for anything connected to urine, while 'ureteral' specifically refers to the ureters—the tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder. You might hear terms like 'ureterovaginal fistula' that uses 'ureteral.'

There isn't one standard abbreviation for the whole term, but doctors might write 'UF' in some cases. However, they're more likely to use the full name 'urinary fistula' or to name the specific type, like 'vesicovaginal fistula,' which describes exactly which body parts are connected.