Anthony J. Schaeffer
Rating: 4.6 of 5
( out of 65 reviews )

Anthony J. Schaeffer, MD, MPH

Languages spoken: English

Clinical Locations

Primary Location

Primary Children's Hospital

Clinic B
100 N Mario Capecchi Drive
Salt Lake City , UT 84113
801-662-5555
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Primary Children's Hospital - Lehi

Pediatric Urology
2250 N Miller Campus Dr
Lehi , UT 84043
801-662-5555
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  • As a pediatric urologists, Dr. Schaeffer specializes in diagnosing, managing, and repairing congenital birth defects and acquired conditions involving the male and female urinary and reproductive systems in children from pregnancy to 18 years. He performs surgery on the adrenal glands, kidneys, ureters, bladder, urethra, penis, testicles, and the inguinal canal. Specific conditions he manages include swelling of the kidneys (hydronephrosis as a result of “UPJ” or “UVJ” obstruction), kidney stones, involuntary urinary leakage (urinary incontinence), Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs), reversed flow of urine from the bladder to the kidney (VesicoUreteral Reflux or VUR), poorly functioning bladders as a result of brain or spinal cord problems (neurogenic bladder), undescended testicles (cryptorchidism), swelling of the inguinal canal and/or scrotum (inguinal hernia and hydrocele), and penile curvature (chordee).

    Dr. Schaeffer has extensive training from several of the world's foremost experts in complex urinary reconstruction. This experience has led to a strong interest in repairing the most complex genital and urinary birth defects in boys and girls. These conditions include the diagnosis, surgical repair, and long term management of genital ambiguity (Disorders of Sexual Differentiation (DSD), formerly known as intersex conditions), improperly formed urethras (hypospadias and epispadias), and major bladder reconstructions for those born with an open (bladder exstrophy) or poorly functioning (neurogenic) bladders.

    Dr. Schaeffer believes that the care of one can lead to improved care for other future patients. Accordingly, he asks many patients to become involved with research that seeks to decrease the costs, improve the access, and better the outcomes of all patients.

    Specialties

    Board Certification

    American Board of Urology (Sub: Pediatric Urology)

    Patient Rating

    Rating: 4.6 out of 5
    4.6 /5
    ( out of 65 reviews )

    The patient rating score is an average of all responses on our patient experience survey. The rating averages scores for all questions about care from our providers.

    The scale on which responses are measured is 1 to 5 with 5 being the best score.

    Patient Comments

    Patient comments are gathered from our patient experience survey and displayed in their entirety. For the convenience of our visitors, some patient comments have been translated from their original language into English while preserving their original meaning as accurately as possible. Patients are de-identified for confidentiality and patient privacy.

    September 18, 2025
    PRIMARY CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER
    Rating: 5 out of 5

    He is brilliant, extremely knowledgeable and so thorough. He is hands down the best Pediatric Urologist!!!

    August 29, 2025
    PRIMARY CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER
    Rating: 5 out of 5

    Dr Schaeffer is an amazing doctor! He is extremely knowledgeable and very kind. He listens to all our concerns and does everything he can to help us. He includes me and my son in making decisions.

    July 03, 2025
    PRIMARY CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER
    Rating: 5 out of 5

    He was really good at making my son feel comfortable and making sure he as well as myself understood everything. Very conscious of my son and for that I'm so grateful

    April 02, 2025
    PRIMARY CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER
    Rating: 5 out of 5

    He is incredibly knowledgeable but also explains things in a very easy-to-understand way. He ensures that we fully understand what is happening and answers all our questions. He is realistic in his expectations and clearly communicates that.

    March 29, 2025
    PRIMARY CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER
    Rating: 5 out of 5

    Very positive, informational and relatable. Put our minds at ease quickly and made our son feel welcome and important.

    March 13, 2025
    PRIMARY CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER
    Rating: 5 out of 5

    Dr Schaeffer takes the care of his patients seriously. We have appreciated all that he has done.

    March 01, 2025
    PRIMARY CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER
    Rating: 5 out of 5

    He is a wonderful doctor and actually thanked us for the opportunity to care for our baby. He explained things well and took extra care to ensure we understood everything. He wanted to know if we had questions and made sure we knew how to get in touch if we did have anything come up. We always felt like we were in great hands. He was so nice interacting with my children. We would absolutely recommend him!

    December 22, 2024
    PRIMARY CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER
    Rating: 5 out of 5

    We credit Dr. Schaeffer with our daughter's life. He is an excellent physician but humble, which is rare to find. This combination makes him a powerful caregiver and we trust him 100% with our daughter's health. We absolutely love Dr. Schaeffer.

    December 13, 2024
    PRIMARY CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER
    Rating: 5 out of 5

    He is amazing Doctor and a very good surgeon

  • As a pediatric urologists, Dr. Schaeffer specializes in diagnosing, managing, and repairing congenital birth defects and acquired conditions involving the male and female urinary and reproductive systems in children from pregnancy to 18 years. He performs surgery on the adrenal glands, kidneys, ureters, bladder, urethra, penis, testicles, and the inguinal canal. Specific conditions he manages include swelling of the kidneys (hydronephrosis as a result of “UPJ” or “UVJ” obstruction), kidney stones, involuntary urinary leakage (urinary incontinence), Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs), reversed flow of urine from the bladder to the kidney (VesicoUreteral Reflux or VUR), poorly functioning bladders as a result of brain or spinal cord problems (neurogenic bladder), undescended testicles (cryptorchidism), swelling of the inguinal canal and/or scrotum (inguinal hernia and hydrocele), and penile curvature (chordee).

    Dr. Schaeffer has extensive training from several of the world's foremost experts in complex urinary reconstruction. This experience has led to a strong interest in repairing the most complex genital and urinary birth defects in boys and girls. These conditions include the diagnosis, surgical repair, and long term management of genital ambiguity (Disorders of Sexual Differentiation (DSD), formerly known as intersex conditions), improperly formed urethras (hypospadias and epispadias), and major bladder reconstructions for those born with an open (bladder exstrophy) or poorly functioning (neurogenic) bladders.

    Dr. Schaeffer believes that the care of one can lead to improved care for other future patients. Accordingly, he asks many patients to become involved with research that seeks to decrease the costs, improve the access, and better the outcomes of all patients.

    Board Certification and Academic Information

    Academic Departments Surgery -Associate Professor
    Academic Divisions Urology
    Board Certification
    American Board of Urology (Sub: Pediatric Urology)

    Education history

    Fellowship Pediatric Urology - Boston Children’s Hospital Fellow
    Graduate Training Clinical Effectiveness - Harvard School of Public Health M.P.H.
    Chief Resident Urology - Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Brady Urological Institute Chief Resident
    Residency Urology - Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Brady Urological Institute Resident
    Internship Surgery - Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions Intern
    Professional Medical Medicine - University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine M.D.
    Research Fellow Cancer Research - National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute Research Fellow
    Undergraduate German - Northwestern University B.A.

    Selected Publications

    Journal Article

    1. Chen J, Bautista CH, Patel A, French MM, Mienko A, Schaeffer AJ, Wallis MC, Gociman B (2025). Penile Reconstruction in Aphallia: Modification of the De Castro Technique With Large Tissue Expander. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open, 13(1), e6412. (Read full publication)
    2. Fendereski K, Horns JJ, Driggs N, Lau G, Schaeffer AJ (2024). Comparing Penile Problems in Circumcised vs. Uncircumcised Boys: Insights From a Large Commercial Claims Database With a Focus on Provider Type Performing Circumcision. J Pediatr Surg, 59(11), 161614. (Read full publication)
    3. Swallow MS, Sharadin CA, Schaeffer AJ, Jacobson DL, Lau GA (2024). Anterior deflected urinary stream in female children: description of a unique clinical entity and surgical management. Front Pediatr, 12, 1434021. (Read full publication)
    4. Mathews RI, Schaeffer AJ, Gearhart JP (2024). Classic Bladder Exstrophy - Timing of initial closure and technical highlights. Afr Urol, 4(se1), S11-S15. (Read full publication)
    5. Fendereski K, Schaeffer AJ (2024). Bladder exstrophy-epispadias-cloacal exstrophy complex: characteristics, aetiologies, and epidemiologic findings. Afr Urol, 4(se1), S20-S25. (Read full publication)
    6. Hwang CK, Matta R, Woolstenhulme J, Britt AK, Schaeffer AJ, Zakaluzny SA, Kleber KT, Sheikali A, Flynn-OBrien KT, Sandilos G, Shimonovich S, Fox N, Hess AB, Zeller KA, Koberlein GC, Levy BE, Draus JM Jr, Sacks M, Chen C, Luo-Owen X, Stephens JR, Shah M, Burks F, Moses RA, Rezaee ME, Vemulakonda VM, Halstead NV, LaCouture HM, Nabavizadeh B, Copp H, Breyer B, Schwartz I, Feia K, Pagliara T, Shi J, Neuville P, Hagedorn JC (2023). Management of pediatric renal trauma: Results from the American Association for Surgery and Trauma Multi-Institutional Pediatric Acute Renal Trauma Study. J Trauma Acute Care Surg, 96(5), 805-812. (Read full publication)
    7. Siegal AR, Ferrer FA, Herndon CDA, Wallis MC, Schaeffer AJ, Malhotra NR (2023). Inter-disciplinary provider development of an online, interactive adolescent varicocele decision aid prototype. Andrology, 12(2), 429-436. (Read full publication)
    8. Malhotra NR, Siegal AR, Lange SM, Cervantez D, White HK, Hannon A, Schaeffer AJ, Lau GA (2023). At-home use of parasacral transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for pediatric voiding dysfunction: a randomized controlled trial to assess its safety and feasibility. Front Pediatr, 11, 1219887. (Read full publication)
    9. Cull JN, Jacobson DL, Lau GA, Cartwright PC, Wallis MC, Skarda D, Swendiman R, Schaeffer AJ (2023). Internal hernia with volvulus after major abdominal reconstructions in pediatric urology - An infrequently reported and potentially devastating complication. J Pediatr Urol, 19(4), 402.e1-402.e7. (Read full publication)
    10. Yamashiro JR, Austin JC, Braga LH, Chuang KW, Davis-Dao CA, Hecht S, Holzman SA, Khoury AE, Kurzrock EA, Lerman SE, McGrath M, Merguerian PA, Saltzman AF, Schaeffer AJ, Seideman C, Singer JS, Wang P, Wehbi EJ, Wu HY, Sturm RM (2023). Identifying variability in surgical practices and instrumentation for hypospadias repair across the Western Pediatric Urology Consortium (WPUC) network. J Pediatr Urol, 19(3), 277-283. (Read full publication)
    11. Cull JN, Jacobson DL, Schaeffer AJ (2023). Spontaneous and rapid transcanalicular translocation of a previously retractile testicle into the abdomen of a post-pubertal, teenage male. Urol Case Rep, 48, 102397. (Read full publication)
    12. Matta R, Horns JJ, Jacobson DL, Schaeffer AJ, Wallis MC, Lau GA (2022). National Trends and Outcomes in the Use of Intravesical Botulinum Toxin and Enterocystoplasty Among Patients With Myelomeningocele. Urology, 166, 289-296. (Read full publication)
    13. Malhotra NR, Schaeffer AJ, Slade AD, Cartwright PC, Lau GA (2020). Post-hypospadias urethrocutaneous fistulae: no difference in repair success between proximal and distal fistulae. Can J Urol, 27(6), 10466-10470. (Read full publication)
    14. Malhotra NR, Kuhlthau KA, Rosoklija I, Migliozzi M, Nelson CP, Schaeffer AJ (2020). Children's experience with daytime and nighttime urinary incontinence - A qualitative exploration. J Pediatr Urol, 16(5), 535.e1-535.e8. (Read full publication)
    15. Schaeffer AJ, Cartwright PC, Lau GA, Ebert MD, Fino NF, Nkoy FL, Hess R (2020). Utilization of Radiographic Imaging for Infant Hydronephrosis over the First 12 Months of Life. Adv Urol, 2020, 2108362. (Read full publication)
    16. Anderson RE, Hanson HA, Lowrance WT, Redshaw J, Oottamasathien S, Schaeffer A, Johnstone E, Aston KI, Carrell DT, Cartwright P, Smith KR, Hotaling JM (2017). Childhood Cancer Risk in the Siblings and Cousins of Men with Poor Semen Quality. J Urol, 197(3 Pt 2), 898-905. (Read full publication)
    17. McNamara ER, Kurtz MP, Schaeffer AJ, Logvinenko T, Nelson CP (May 2015). Morbidity after augmentation enterocystoplasty and appendicovesicostomy: A NSQIPP analysis. J Pediatr Urol, 11(4), 209e1-6.
    18. McNamara ER, Schaeffer AJ, Logvinenko T, Seager C, Rosoklija I, Nelson CP, Retik AB, Diamond DA, Cendron MA (May 2015). Management of proximal hypospadias with 2-Stage repair: 20 year experience. J Urol, 194(4), 1080-5.
    19. Schaeffer AJ, Sood S, Logvinenko T, Rivera-Castro G, Rosoklija I, Chow JS, Nelson CP (2014). Variation in the documentation of findings in pediatric voiding cystourethrogram. Pediatr Radiol, 44(12), 1548-56. (Read full publication)
    20. Schaeffer AJ, Johnson EK, Logvinenko T, Graham DA, Borer JG, Nelson CP (2014). Practice patterns and resource utilization for infants with bladder exstrophy: a national perspective. J Urol, 191(5), 1381-8. (Read full publication)
    21. Massanyi EZ, Shah B, Schaeffer AJ, DiCarlo HN, Sponseller PD, Gearhart JP (2013). Persistent vesicocutaneous fistula after repair of classic bladder exstrophy: a sign of failure? J Pediatr Urol, 9(6 Pt A), 867-71. (Read full publication)
    22. Schaeffer AJ, Stec AA, Baradaran N, Gearhart JP, Mathews RI (2013). Preservation of renal function in the modern staged repair of classic bladder exstrophy. J Pediatr Urol, 9(2), 169-73. (Read full publication)
    23. Preece JP, Schaeffer AJ, Suson KD (2013). Pre-sacrococcygeal teratoma as an unusual cause of neonatal bladder outlet obstruction. 24(3), 13.
    24. Schaeffer AJ, Yenokyan G, Alcorn K, Furth SL, Diener-West M, Wu AW, Gearhart JP, Dodson JL (2012). Health related quality of life in adolescents with bladder exstrophy-epispadias as measured by the Child Health Questionnaire-Child Form 87. J Urol, 188(5), 1924-9. (Read full publication)
    25. Baradaran N, Stec AA, Schaeffer AJ, Gearhart JP, Mathews RI (2012). Delayed primary closure of bladder exstrophy: immediate postoperative management leading to successful outcomes. Urology, 79(2), 415-9. (Read full publication)
    26. Stec AA, Baradaran N, Schaeffer AJ, Gearhart JP, Matthews RI (2012). The modern staged repair of classic bladder exstrophy: a detailed postoperative management strategy for primary bladder closure. J Pediatr Urol, 8(5), 549-55.
    27. Schaeffer AJ, Stec AA, Purves JT, Cervellione RM, Nelson CP, Gearhart JP (2011). Complete primary repair of bladder exstrophy: a single institution referral experience. J Urol, 186(3), 1041-6. (Read full publication)
    28. Ross AE, Marchionni L, Phillips TM, Miller RM, Hurley PJ, Simons BW, Salmasi AH, Schaeffer AJ, Gearhart JP, Schaeffer EM (2011). Molecular effects of genistein on male urethral development. J Urol, 185(5), 1894-8. (Read full publication)
    29. Schaeffer AJ, Feng Z, Trock BJ, Mathews RI, Neu AM, Gearhart JP, Matlaga BR (2011). Medical comorbidities associated with pediatric kidney stone disease. Urology, 77(1), 195-9. (Read full publication)
    30. Matlaga BR, Schaeffer AJ, Novak TE, Trock BJ (2010). Epidemiologic insights into pediatric kidney stone disease. Urol Res, 38(6), 453-7. (Read full publication)
    31. Schaeffer AJ, Handa SE, Lingeman JE, Matlaga BR (2008). Transsplenic percutaneous nephrolithotomy. J Endourol, 22(11), 2481-4. (Read full publication)
    32. Schaeffer AJ, Purves JT, King JA, Sponseller PD, Jeffs RD, Gearhart JP (2008). Complications of primary closure of classic bladder exstrophy. J Urol, 180(4 Suppl), 1671-4; discussion 1674. (Read full publication)
    33. Zorn KC, Orvieto MA, Mikhail AA, Gofrit ON, Lin S, Schaeffer AJ, Shalhav AL, Zagaja GP (2007). Effect of prostate weight on operative and postoperative outcomes of robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy. Urology, 69(2), 300-5. (Read full publication)
    34. Schaeffer AJ, Chung J, Heretis K, Wong A, Ledbetter DH, Lese Martin C (2004). Comparative genomic hybridization-array analysis enhances the detection of aneuploidies and submicroscopic imbalances in spontaneous miscarriages. Am J Hum Genet, 74(6), 1168-74. (Read full publication)
    35. Schaeffer AJ, Nguyen M, Liem A, Lee D, Montagna C, Lambert PF, Ried T, Difilippantonio MJ (2004). E6 and E7 oncoproteins induce distinct patterns of chromosomal aneuploidy in skin tumors from transgenic mice. Cancer Res, 64(2), 538-46. (Read full publication)
    36. Qian Y, Sensibar JA, Zelner DJ, Schaeffer AJ, Finlay JA, Rittenhouse HG, Lee C (1997). Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis detects prostate-specific antigen-alpha1-antichymotrypsin complex in serum but not in prostatic fluid. Clin Chem, 43(2), 352-9. (Read full publication)

    Review

    1. Schaeffer AJ, Diamond DA (2014). Pediatric Urinary Incontinence: Classification, Evaluation, and Management. Afr J Urol. 20(1):1-13, 2014. [Review]. Afr J Urol, 20(1), 1-13.
    2. Schaeffer AJ, Burnett AL (2012). Nonsurgical interventions for Peyronie disease: 2011 update. [Review]. J Androl, 33(1), 3-14. (Read full publication)

    Abstract

    1. Schaeffer AJ, Gearhart JP, Matlaga BR (2010). Percutaneous cystolithopaxy following complex lower urinary tract reconstruction: the role of CT-guided access [Abstract]. American Urological Association.

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