Kidney stones are particles produced from waste that's been filtered out of urine before it passes to the bladder. Often, the built-up particles stay in the kidney or pass through the urinary tract undetected in very small pieces. In some cases, the stone may be large enough to cause pain or urinary tract problems in the individual. According to the National and Urological Diseases Information Clearinghouse, kidney stones can be composed of calcium, struvite, uric acid or cystine. Treatments for people who are passing kidney stones are largely dependent upon the size and location of the kidney stone.
Kidney Stone Shock Wave Treatment
The main problem patients experience with kidney stones is related to the size of the kidney stone. A stone that is small enough to pass through the ureter, the tube leading from the kidney to the bladder, will not be painful. Treatment with shock waves is minimally invasive, and a good way to break large kidney stones up into smaller pieces for easier passing through the ureter. MayoClinic.com notes that some side effects of this surgery may include blood in the urine or bruising at the site of shock wave treatment. The extreme pain often reported from passing a kidney stone makes this an acceptable side effect to many who choose this option of treatment.
Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy
Percutaneous nephrolithotomy, also known as tunnel surgery, allows the surgeon to make a small incision in the patient's back and physically remove all pieces of the kidney stone causing an obstruction. Shock wave treatment is not always an option for patients. Some kidney stones are not easily broken up by the wave; the large size of other stones can reduce the effectiveness of shock wave treatment. Physical removal of stones is actually the preferred method of treatment in some cases where the employment demands of the patient require the complete removal of the stones for on-the-job safety purposes. A longer hospital stay is often required, compared with shock wave treatment and potential complications of the surgery include bleeding, infection at the incision site and accidental tissue or organ damage.
Ureteroscopic Removal
In some cases, the stone may have passed too far through the ureter to be retrieved via percutaneous nephrolithotomy and be too large for shock wave treatment. Ureteroscopic removal of the stone allows the surgeon to insert a tool into the urethra, via the penis or vagina. The tool is constructed in a way that allows for breaking up and extraction of the kidney stone, usually while the patient is under general anesthesia.
