Kidney stones are hard deposits of minerals and acid salts that form in the kidneys, and if
untreated, they can become very painful. Most kidney stones are small enough to
pass through the urinary tract, and all that may be needed is to drink a lot of
water to flush the kidney stones out. There are medications such as Flomax
which can expedite stone passage. However, for larger kidney stones that become
trapped in the ureters, or tubes
going from the kidneys to the bladder, there are several other effective
treatments available.
Some tests that may
be performed if kidney stones are suspected are:
• Blood tests – Blood
tests may show too much uric acid or calcium in your blood stream, which can
indicate the presence of kidney stones.
• Urine tests – There is a 24-hour urine test
which shows if you are secreting too many stone-producing minerals, or not
enough stone-preventing substances.
• Imaging tests – Simple x-rays of the abdomen,
ultrasounds, or CT scans may help locate the problem.
For kidney stones
that are too large to pass, there are a number of effective treatments, such
as:
• Sound wave
treatment – Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) uses sound waves to
break up large stones into small pieces that can be flushed out in your urine.
This usually takes 45 to 60 minutes and may cause moderate pain, so light
anesthesia or pain medication may be used.
• Surgery – If your kidney stones are very
large, a procedure called percutaneous nephrolithotripsy may be performed.
This procedure involves making a small incision in your back and inserting
small telescopes and equipment to surgically remove the kidney stone. This is
done under general anesthesia and recovery time may be one to two days in the
hospital, depending on your health history and surgical tolerance.
• Scope – When a stone is in the ureter a lighted
scope (ureteroscope) may be used to locate the stone. Then, the stone is
grabbed with special tools and removed. It can be fragmented with a laser. You
may need local or general anesthesia.
Once your kidney
stones are removed, you’ll want to check with your doctor to see if special
diets will help prevent the reoccurrence of your kidney stones. There are also
medications available that may prevent future kidney stones.
Are you experiencing
trouble with possible kidney stones? If so, contact us today! We are happy to
help you fix the problem and return to living pain-free.
Labels: kidney stones