Procedure Volume Patient Data Patient Conditions Reviews General Payments Back to Top

Home > FL Providers > Urologists

Dr. Barbara Ercole, MD

(144 Ratings)

Specializes in: Urology (Urinary Tract Disease)

University of Minnesota Medical School (2003)

Professional interests include: penile cancer, bladder cancer, transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), and more.

2950 Cleveland Clinic Boulevard Mail Code Wstn
Weston, FL 33331

1-877-463-2010

Dr. Barbara Ercole, MD is an urologist in Weston, FL specializing in urology (urinary tract disease). She graduated from University of Minnesota Medical School in 2003 and has 21 years of experience. Dr. Barbara Ercole, MD is affiliated with Cleveland Clinic, CLEVELAND CLINIC FLORIDA A NONPROFIT CORPORATION and Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital.

Office Locations

Unable to locate address.

Address:

2950 Cleveland Clinic Boulevard Mail Code Wstn
Weston, FL 33331

Some issues Dr. Barbara Ercole, MD can help you with:

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (Enlarged Prostate)

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a noncancerous condition in which the prostate gland becomes enlarged. BPH affects about half of men between the ages of 50 and 60, and approximately 80% of men over 80. As the prostate grows in size, it can press down on the tube where urine flows out of the body (the urethra) and cause urinary problems.

Medication can relieve mild to moderate symptoms of BPH, such as frequent urination, incomplete bladder emptying, a weak urine stream, and straining while urinating. However, other forms of treatment may be more appropriate if an individual has pain with urination, frequent urinary tract infections, or is unable to urinate. The size of the prostate and the severity of their symptoms will determine the type of treatment they need. If the prostate is not very large, doctors will likely recommend a transurethral procedure. This minimally invasive technique involves the insertion of a scope into the urethra. The most common transurethral procedures for BPH are:

Transurethral incision of the prostate or TUIP, where the surgeon uses the scope to make small cuts in the area of the prostate that meets the bladder. These cuts will open up the pathway for urine and allow it to flow with more ease.
Transurethral needle ablation or TUNA, where needles are inserted through the scope and into the prostate. The needles use radiofrequency waves to destroy excess prostate tissue.
Laser prostate ablation, where lasers pass through the scope to melt away the part of the prostate causing urine blockage.
Transurethral resection of the prostate or TURP, where the inside of the prostate is trimmed and removed one tiny piece at a time using the scope.

If the prostate is too big for a transurethral procedure, an individual may need a simple prostatectomy, which can be done in one of three ways: laparoscopic, robotic, or open. During a laparoscopic simple prostatectomy, a surgeon makes several small incisions on the belly. Then they insert a long tube with a camera into one of the cuts and surgical instruments into the others. Using the camera to see inside the belly, they carefully removes the enlarged part of the prostate. Robotic simple prostatectomy uses the same techniques as the laparoscopic method, but the surgery is done with the help of a robot. For men with very large prostates, open simple prostatectomy may be the best treatment option. This surgery differs from the other approaches in that it requires a much larger incision.

Most transurethral treatments for BPH, like TUIP, TUNA, and laser prostate ablation, are done in the doctor's office or outpatient surgery center. TURP and simple prostatectomy, however, need to be performed in the hospital and require an average stay of one to three days. Patients should wait a week before doing any strenuous activities after a TUIP, TUNA, or laser prostate ablation, and about four to six weeks after a TURP or simple prostatectomy. Although these treatments improve BPH symptoms for most patients, it is important to be aware of the risks involved, such as urine control issues, tightening of the urethra, and erectile dysfunction.

Kidney Stones

Kidney stones are hard deposits that form in the kidneys, made up of minerals that are normally present in urine. They can vary in size, from as small as a grain of sand to as large as a nickel, occasionally even larger. Sometimes they lodge in the kidney, and sometimes they break free and make their way out through the urinary tract, which can be extremely painful.

Kidney stones can be smooth or jagged and are yellow to brown in color. They are mostly comprised of the minerals calcium, oxalate, and phosphorus. Examining the stones to see what they are made of can show what caused the stone to be formed in the first place. For example, a stone made of mostly calcium, which is the most common type, can happen any time the urine becomes too concentrated due to dehydration or a blockage in the kidney. A uric acid stone forms when acid levels in the urine get too high, usually due to excessive consumption of animal protein such as meat and fish. A struvite stone is a sign of certain infections, and a cystine stone can be due to a genetic disorder that raises the risk of kidney stones.

The most common symptom of kidney stones is pain, either in the back or lower abdomen, or severe pain when urinating. There may also be blood in the urine. Treatment for kidney stones depends on how large the stone is. Very small stones can pass out of the body on their own, and they do not require treatment other than drinking adequate water and taking pain killers. Larger stones need to be broken apart and removed. The main treatment options are:

Shock wave lithotripsy, which uses sound wave vibrations to break apart the stone
Percutaneous nephrolithotomy, or the use of a very tiny tool (like a wire inserted through the back) to break apart and remove the stone
Ureteroscopy, a thin tube inserted through the urethra and bladder to the stone, where tiny tools can grasp the stone and remove

People who have had one kidney stone are at risk of developing another. To reduce this risk, patients are given instructions specific to the type of stone they developed. Generally the instructions will include drinking more water to dilute the urine, but it may also involve lowering sodium intake or eating less meat.

Radical Prostatectomy

Prostate cancer is uncommon in men under 40, but the risk of getting the disease significantly increases after the age of 50. If doctors suspect their patients have prostate cancer based on a physical exam or blood test results, he or she may recommend a biopsy. This diagnostic procedure collects tiny samples of tissue from the prostate, typically with the use of a special needle. The samples are then examined in a laboratory to determine whether any abnormal cells are present. Biopsies of the prostate are most often done transrectally, or through the rectum.

If a biopsy shows the presence of prostate cancer, doctors will discuss available options, such as watchful waiting, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, chemotherapy, and surgery. Together, the doctor and patient will develop a treatment plan that best fits the patients' condition. If a doctor recommends surgery, the patient will likely have a radical prostatectomy. There are three ways this prostate removal procedure can be performed:

Open radical prostatectomy, which uses a large incision, usually in the abdomen.
Laparoscopic radical prostatectomy, which requires several small incisions in the stomach. A long, thin tube with a camera is inserted through one of the cuts. The surgeon uses this instrument to view the inside of the belly during the operation.
Robotic radical prostatectomy, which uses the above laparoscopic techniques but with the help of a robot.

While incisions for the laparoscopic and robotic approaches will always be on the lower abdomen, there are two possible incision locations for the open procedure. More commonly, the cut will start just below the belly button and end at the pubic bone. The other possible but less frequently used incision location is the area between the base of the scrotum and anus. After the cut is made, the surgeon will separate the prostate from the tissues surrounding it. Extra care will be taken to cause as little injury as possible to the blood vessels and nerves. Patients will wake up from surgery with a small pouch that drains fluids from the belly and a long tube that drains urine from the bladder.

Radical prostatectomy is recommended for cancer that is contained within the prostate. If cancer has spread to other parts of the body, non-surgical treatments like chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or hormone therapy may be more appropriate.

The average hospital stay is one day for a laparoscopic or robotic radical prostatectomy, and one to three days for an open radical prostatectomy. Patients are advised to stay in bed until the morning following the operation. Strenuous activities like running and heavy lifting must be avoided for four to six weeks. Although radical prostatectomy aims to remove all of the cancer cells, patients will still need to see their doctor regularly after surgery to make sure that the cancer does not return.

biological response modifier (BRM) therapy	76
chemotherapy	76
diagnostic procedures	25
doctor visit	487
lab tests	164
minimally invasive procedures	106
minor procedures	25
urologic procedures	222

**Gender**
Male	222
Female	93

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	218
Black	0
Hispanic	48
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	183
From 75 to 84	79
85 and over	33
Less than 65	20

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	63
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	48
Depression	16
Chronic Kidney Disease	45
Asthma	6
Osteoperosis	6
Atrial Fibrilation	14
Heart Failure	16
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	15
Diabetes	32
Dementia	6
Cancer	29

biological response modifier (BRM) therapy	60
chemotherapy	60
diagnostic procedures	20
doctor visit	474
hormone therapy	16
lab tests	135
minimally invasive procedures	91
minor procedures	20
urologic procedures	179

**Gender**
Male	231
Female	77

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	208
Black	36
Hispanic	53
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	172
From 75 to 84	86
85 and over	31
Less than 65	19

Hypertension	71
High Cholesterol	69
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	40
Depression	13
Chronic Kidney Disease	43
Asthma	5
Osteoperosis	6
Atrial Fibrilation	11
Heart Failure	16
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	11
Diabetes	33
Dementia	5
Cancer	32

biological response modifier (BRM) therapy	39
chemotherapy	39
diagnostic procedures	37
doctor visit	626
lab tests	169
minimally invasive procedures	146
minor procedures	37
urologic procedures	207

**Gender**
Male	572
Female	194

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	490
Black	110
Hispanic	132
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	414
From 75 to 84	212
85 and over	84
Less than 65	56

Hypertension	65
High Cholesterol	70
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	41
Depression	15
Chronic Kidney Disease	38
Asthma	8
Osteoperosis	7
Atrial Fibrilation	11
Heart Failure	16
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	13
Diabetes	31
Dementia	8
Cancer	30

biological response modifier (BRM) therapy	45
chemotherapy	45
diagnostic procedures	30
doctor visit	668
foreign body removal	22
hormone therapy	25
lab tests	165
minimally invasive procedures	168
minor procedures	30
urologic procedures	222

**Gender**
Male	316
Female	100

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	257
Black	63
Hispanic	74
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	238
From 75 to 84	114
85 and over	34
Less than 65	30

Hypertension	69
High Cholesterol	59
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	39
Depression	13
Chronic Kidney Disease	40
Asthma	10
Osteoperosis	6
Atrial Fibrilation	8
Heart Failure	14
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	11
Diabetes	33
Dementia	6
Cancer	33

diagnostic procedures	23
doctor visit	644
foreign body removal	11
hormone therapy	27
lab tests	152
minimally invasive procedures	159
minor procedures	23
urologic procedures	172

**Gender**
Male	325
Female	88

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	243
Black	75
Hispanic	68
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	238
From 75 to 84	120
85 and over	30
Less than 65	25

Hypertension	69
High Cholesterol	61
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	38
Depression	14
Chronic Kidney Disease	43
Asthma	5
Osteoperosis	6
Atrial Fibrilation	8
Heart Failure	11
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	10
Diabetes	32
Dementia	8
Cancer	34

diagnostic procedures	13
doctor visit	705
foreign body removal	29
hormone therapy	27
lab tests	184
minimally invasive procedures	172
minor procedures	13
urologic procedures	169

**Gender**
Male	368
Female	114

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	309
Black	70
Hispanic	73
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	283
From 75 to 84	148
85 and over	26
Less than 65	25

Hypertension	70
High Cholesterol	69
Stroke	6
Ischemic Heart Disease	43
Depression	16
Chronic Kidney Disease	42
Asthma	6
Osteoperosis	5
Atrial Fibrilation	10
Heart Failure	13
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	13
Diabetes	32
Dementia	7
Cancer	33

biological response modifier (BRM) therapy	31
chemotherapy	31
diagnostic procedures	20
doctor visit	652
foreign body removal	11
hormone therapy	26
lab tests	135
minimally invasive procedures	157
minor procedures	20
urologic procedures	186

**Gender**
Male	368
Female	102

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	298
Black	86
Hispanic	65
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	265
From 75 to 84	148
85 and over	36
Less than 65	21

Hypertension	69
High Cholesterol	72
Stroke	5
Ischemic Heart Disease	41
Depression	16
Chronic Kidney Disease	41
Asthma	4
Osteoperosis	5
Atrial Fibrilation	10
Heart Failure	13
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	11
Diabetes	34
Dementia	10
Cancer	35

biological response modifier (BRM) therapy	25
chemotherapy	25
diagnostic procedures	16
doctor visit	551
lab tests	44
minimally invasive procedures	141
minor procedures	16
urologic procedures	164

**Gender**
Male	333
Female	90

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	277
Black	60
Hispanic	59
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	249
From 75 to 84	128
85 and over	25
Less than 65	21

Hypertension	71
High Cholesterol	70
Stroke	7
Ischemic Heart Disease	43
Depression	13
Chronic Kidney Disease	40
Asthma	5
Osteoperosis	6
Atrial Fibrilation	11
Heart Failure	15
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	10
Diabetes	32
Dementia	7
Cancer	35

diagnostic procedures	40
doctor visit	1269
foreign body removal	26
hormone therapy	21
lab tests	48
minimally invasive procedures	316
minor procedures	40
potassium test	13
stent placement (stenting)	22
urologic procedures	341

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2013 - 2021

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Barbara Ercole, MD for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. Barbara Ercole, MD treated as an urologist in Weston, FL were urologic procedures, minimally invasive procedures, lab tests and chemotherapy.

biological response modifier (BRM) therapy	46
chemotherapy	46
diagnostic procedures	24
doctor visit	677
foreign body removal	19
hormone therapy	23
lab tests	132
minimally invasive procedures	163
minor procedures	24
potassium test	13
stent placement (stenting)	22
urologic procedures	209

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2013 - 2021

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Barbara Ercole, MD.

**Gender**
Male	273
Female	85

**Ethnicity**
Black / African American	50
Asian / Pacific Islander	0
Non-Hispanic White	230
Native American / Alaskan Native	0
Hispanic	57
Other	0

**Age**
75 to 84	103
85 and over	29
Less than 65	21
65 to 74	204

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Barbara Ercole, MD From 2013 - 2021

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. Barbara Ercole, MD treated were hypertension, high cholesterol, chronic kidney disease and ischemic heart disease.

Hypertension	55
High Cholesterol	53
Stroke	3
Ischemic Heart Disease	33
Depression	11
Chronic Kidney Disease	33
Asthma	4
Osteoporosis	4
Heart Failure	11
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	9
Diabetes	25
Atrial Fibrillation	8
Cancer	26
Dementia	5

Education & Training

Dr. Barbara Ercole, MD graduated from University of Minnesota Medical School in 2003. She completed residency at University of Connecticut Affiliated Hospitals. She is certified by the Urology and has a state license in Texas.

Medical School: University of Minnesota Medical School (2003)

Residency: University of Connecticut Affiliated Hospitals (2009)

Board Certification: Urology

Licensed In: Texas

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. Barbara Ercole, MD is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

Cleveland Clinic

CLEVELAND CLINIC FLORIDA A NONPROFIT CORPORATION

Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital

Ratings & Reviews

Dr. Barbara Ercole, MD has an exceptional overall rating with an average of 4.97 out of 5 stars based on 144 ratings. We collect ratings and reviews of Dr. Barbara Ercole, MD from all over the web to help you find the right in Weston, FL.

4.97

Overall Rating

(144 Ratings)

Leave a Review

Reviews Left On DocSpot

Overall Rating: 1.0 2019-02-18

 I has a urine cytology done on 12/17/2018.  There were abnormal or (cancer) cells in the urine.  I was not notified of it until 1/21/2019 even though I called several times.  That is more than a month later.  Dr. Ercole performed a cystoscopy on 12/19/2018.  She told me she believed I had bladder cancer.  She told me it needs to be taken care of as soon as possible.  I asked her when?  She told me she's going on vacation and if I want it taken care of immediately "find another urologist."  I found another urologist.  One more observation.  If you are a man, go to a male urologist.  If you are a woman, go to a woman.  Some of Dr. Ercole's comments to me seemed insensitive.  It may be she just doesn't understand the plumbing from a personal perspective.

General Payments

These charts describe general payments received by Dr. Barbara Ercole, MD. Doctors may receive payments for a number of reasons, including meal compensation, travel compensation, and consulting.

**Payments by Company**
Astellas Pharma US Inc	$395 Myrbetriq $250	Vesicare $119	XTANDI $26
Janssen Biotech, Inc.	$283 Erleada $194	No Product $60	ZYTIGA $28
Pfizer Inc.	$248 XTANDI $128	ORGOVYX $119
Myriad Genetic Laboratories, Inc.	$243 myRisk $243
Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC	$233 YONDELIS $233
Other	$889 EndoSheath $117	SPEEDICATH $101	TESTOPEL $99	Trinity 3D Prostate Suite $62	Rezum $61	Other $451

**Types of Payments**
Food and Beverage	$2,284
Education	$7

Biography

Dr. Barbara Ercole is a Weston, FL physician who specializes in urology (urinary tract disease). After completing medical school at the University of Minnesota Medical School, she performed her residency at a hospital affiliated with the University of Connecticut. Dr. Ercole's clinical interests include bladder cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostate), and kidney stones. Patient ratings for Dr. Ercole average 5.0 stars (out of 5). She speaks Spanish. She is affiliated with Cleveland Clinic.