Kidney Stone Surgery

Kidney Stone Surgery is a surgical procedure to remove the stones in kidney which are hard deposits made from minerals such as calcium or waste products such as uric acid.

Some facts about Kidney Stone Surgery:

• Initially, Kidney Stone is small, but they can grow bigger when more minerals stick to them.
• Kidney Stone Surgery is required for the stones that are painful or that get stuck in your urinary tract. However, some kidney stones often pass on their own without any treatment.
• You might have a procedure or under go surgery for the removal of stone out of kidney if the stone is very large and can't pass on its own, the stone is blocking the flow of urine out of your kidney, you have often urinary tract infections because of the stone or experiencing a lot of pain.
• Kidney Stone Surgery can be done to avoid permanent damage to kidneys, get immediate relief and restore Kidney Function and avoid Chances of UTI Infections.

Types of Kidney Stone Procedures and Surgeries:

Shock wave lithotripsy, Ureteroscopy, Percutaneous nephrolithotomy or percutaneous nephrolithotripsy and Open surgery are four treatments that can be used for the removal of kidney stones.

Shock Wave Lithotripsy:

• SWL is the most common kidney stone treatment which is noninvasive and works best for small or medium stones.
• Medicine will be provided beforehand to limit any pain or discomfort during this procedure.
• An X-ray or ultrasound is used by the doctor to find the stone or stones in your kidney.
• High-energy shock waves are aimed at your kidney from the outside which go through your skin and break up the stone into small pieces.
• A tube called a stent will be put into your ureter by the doctor.
• The pieces of stone will pass through this stent.
• Usually, you can go home on the same day after the procedure as it takes about an hour.
• You will have to drink lots of water after the procedure to flush the stone pieces out in your urine.
• You might have to pee through a strainer so that pieces of the stone can be caught for testing.
• Kidney stones can be removed in about half of people who have it by SWL. However, you might need to have the procedure repeated if it doesn't work.
• Cramps or blood in your urine are the most common side effects of this procedure.
• Bleeding around the kidney, damage to the kidney, stone that blocks the flow of urine and infection are more serious problems that are less likely to occur.

Ureteroscopy:

• Ureteroscopy is a noninvasive procedure used to treats stones in the kidneys and ureters.
• Anesthesia will be given to make you sleep through this procedure.
• A thin, flexible scope will be used to find and remove stones.
• The scope will be passed through your bladder and ureter into your kidney.
• A small basket will be used to remove small stones.
• A laser through the scope will be used to break up large stones.
• A stent will be placed in your ureter to help urine drain from your kidney into your bladder by your doctor which can be taken out after 4 to 10 days.
• A string is provided on the end in some stents so that you can pull it out yourself. But, be sure to carefully follow the instructions of your doctor about taking out a stent yourself.
• Narrowing of the ureter, bleeding and infection are some of the possible problems after a ureteroscopy.

Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy or Percutaneous Nephrolithotripsy:

• Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy or Percutaneous Nephrolithotripsy is an option if your stone is large or lithotripsy doesn't break it up enough.
• A small tube will be used in PCNL to reach the stone and break it up with high frequency sound waves.
• Anesthesia will be given to make you sleep through this procedure.
• A small cut in your back or side will be made by the surgeon and a thin scope will be placed into the hole.
• The surgery can be done in either Nephrolithotomy or Nephrolithotripsy.
• The stone will be removed through a tube in case of a Nephrolithotomy.
• Sound waves or a laser can be used to break up the stone and then vacuums up the pieces with a suction machine in case of Nephrolithotripsy.
• The surgery takes about 20 to 45 minutes and you may have to stay for a day or two in the hospital afterward.
• A stent will have to stay in your kidney for a few days to help urine drain in most of the cases.
• An X-ray or ultrasound will be done by your doctor a few weeks later to see whether any parts of the stone are left.
• The stone fragments are also send to a lab to find out what they are made of.
• Infection, bleeding and damage to the bladder, bowel, ureter, kidney, or liver can be the risk from this procedure.

Open Surgery:

• Open surgery is an option if your stone is very large or it can't be removed or crushed with other treatments.
• Open surgery is also done when one of the stones is stuck in your ureter, you are experiencing a lot of pain, the stone is blocking your urine flow or you're bleeding or you have an infection.
• Anesthesia will be given to make you sleep through this procedure.
• A cut will be made in your side and into your kidney by the surgeon.
• The stone will be removed through the opening and a stent will be placed in the ureter to help urine drain.
• You may need to stay in the hospital for a few days and it can take 4 to 6 weeks to fully heal after open surgery.