URINARY TRACT STONES - KIDNEY STONES / BLADDER STONES / URETERIC STONES
Kidney stones also known as renal stones are small, hard deposits that form in one or both kidneys. The stones are made up of minerals or other compounds found in urine.Kidney stones vary in size, shape, and color. To be cleared from the body the stones need to travel through ducts that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder and be excreted and in most cases need medical intervention.
TREATMENT OF KIDNEY STONES
Your doctor will do a complete health history assessment, physical examination, and tests to study the type of stones you are suffering from and treatment is tailored accordingly. Treatment options include:
- Medications
- Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy
- Tunnel Surgery
- Ureteroscopy
BLADDER STONES
Bladder stones are hard objects in the urinary tract made up of millions of tiny crystals. Sometimes, they don’t cause any symptoms and pass out of your body on their own. You may never even know you had one. But more often, they may cause pain or other problems when you pee. When that happens, you have to get them removed.
TREATMENT OF BLADDER STONES
If your doctor finds that you have bladder stones, a cystolitholapaxy may be performed. During this procedure an instrument called a cystoscope is inserted into the bladder to locate the bladder stone or stones, which are then crushed using laser energy or ultrasound waves.
URETERIC STONES
Ureteric calculi are stones that form in or travel down to the ureters, which are the slender muscular tubes that connect the kidneys to the urinary bladder. These tubes are physiologically constricted at 3 points along their lengths, namely at the ureteropelvic junction, entry into the pelvis as they cross the bifurcation of the common iliac artery and the ureterovesical junction.
As a consequence, these points are the commonest sites where ureteric calculi may become impacted. This may cause several signs and symptoms that may be site-specific as well as related to the degree of urinary obstruction.
TREATMENT OF URETERIC STONES
Treatment of ureteral stones depends on the size and location of the stones and the substances from which they are formed. Treatments include:
- Shock wave lithotripsy
- Ureteroscopy
- Percutaneous nephrolithotomy
SOME COMMON USEFUL INFORMATION ABOUT STONES
- Kidney stones often produce intense pain that starts in the lower back and may move to the side or groin.
- In some cases, bladder stones can cause symptoms, but in other cases they may be silent, and detected incidentally.
- Those who have had a kidney stones/bladder stones/ureteric stones before are at greater risk of developing another.
- To prevent kidney stones, drink plenty of water every day.
- Once a stones has passed, it can be evaluated to determine the cause. Knowing why your stones formed is the best way to reduce your risk of future stones.
- Often, stones will require a procedure in order to be removed. However, in many cases such procedures can be performed without an incision, and without requiring overnight hospitalization.