Kidney Stones Procedures & Services

Description

Kidney stones are hard substances made of salt and minerals that crystallise out from the urine and are formed inside the kidneys. These “stones” grow bigger and can eventually pass down the ureter and often cause a blockage, which results in severe pain.

Risk Factors

A personal or family history of having kidney stones.
Living in a hot geographical area.
High protein, high salt, high sugar diet.
Inflammatory bowel diseases.
Previous surgery to your kidneys.
Abnormal urinary tract.

Symptoms

Severe pain on one side of the back, below the ribs, often spreading down to the groin.
The pain typically comes in waves and fluctuates in intensity, often associated with nausea and vomiting.
Fever and chills suggest an infection and require urgent medical care.

Investigating kidney stones

If your doctors suspect a kidney stone, they will order a CT scan to confirm the diagnosis
Analysis of passed stones can help determine the cause of the kidney stones.
Blood tests are usually done to evaluate kidney function and investigate possible causes for the stone

Treatment

Treatment is determined by multiple factors:

How sick you are
Medial causes for the stone that may be corrected
Size of the stone
Position in your urinary tract

Minor,Minimally Invasive or Surgical Options

Retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS)

Ureteroscopy involves the passage of a thin telescope through the bladder to the ureter to visualise the stone. A laser is used to fragment the stone into small pieces that are removed.

Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PCNL)

The kidney is accessed through a puncture in the skin. A small telescope and other instruments are inserted through an access sheath and the stones are removed through this working channel. It is mostly performed for large kidney stones.

Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL)

The surgeon uses a special X-ray machine to focus shock waves on the kidney stone. The stones are broken into smaller fragments tat are passed naturally down the ureter.

Urinary Calculi (Kidney Stones)