Robert Caleb Kovell, MD

• Director, Genitourinary Reconstruction and Transitional Urology
• Program Director, Urology Residency
• Director, Urology Medical Student Education
• Associate Professor of Clinical Surgery

I am a board-certified urologist focused on providing individualized care for patients while helping them understand their options and achieve their goals. My practice focuses on reconstructive urology which includes improving urologic function when it has been compromised by trauma, congenital urologic conditions, cancer, previous surgery or radiation therapy. I treat a wide range of conditions including urethral strictures, ureteral injuries, post-prostatectomy erectile dysfunction and incontinence, penile cancers, rectourethral fistulas, neurogenic bladder, and penile curvature.

My practice spans multiple sites at Penn Medicine and The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) due to my work in transitional urology. I care for patients with complex issues such as spina bifida, spinal cord injuries, exstrophy/epispadias, posterior urethral valves, prune belly syndrome, childhood cancers, and hypospadias. I work closely with our incredible pediatric urology team at CHOP to provide optimal care for patients and their families.

I also have a special interest in global urologic health. I have been involved in a number of projects aimed at teaching reconstructive techniques to health care teams in different parts of the world such as Vietnam, Mozambique, Liberia, South Africa, India and Trinidad. Our goal is to equip local providers with the skills they need to better serve their patients. 

I consider it a great privilege to work at a place like Penn Medicine where we have the opportunity to train the next generation of future surgeons and healers through our residency and fellowship programs. Having trained here myself, I understand what an amazing place it is and how working in an environment like this can positively influence someone’s entire perspective.

I look forward to meeting you and helping you in any way that I can.

My education and training

• Medical School: University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
• Residency: University of Pennsylvania Health System
• Fellowship: Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University

• Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania: Has privileges to treat patients in the hospital.
• Pennsylvania Hospital: Has privileges to treat patients in the hospital.
• Penn Presbyterian Medical Center: Has privileges to treat patients in the hospital.