Kidney stones, mineral deposits that form in the kidney, are very common; according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, as many as 1 in 10 people will have a kidney stone at some point in their lives. Men are more likely to have kidney stones than women; and most sufferers are between the ages of 20 and 50, with women more likely to develop stones after menopause, Ojas Shah, M.D., of the NYU Langone Medical Center states. Several types of surgery are used to treat kidney stones.
Lithotripsy
NYU includes lithotripsy on its list of types of surgery for kidney stones. Lithotripsy is a noninvasive procedure for dissolving smaller kidney stones in the kidney or upper part of the ureter, the tube that connects the kidney to the bladder; no incisions are made. Sound waves, ultrasound or electric shock waves are aimed at the stones via a probe to break them up and allow them to be passed more easily. For extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, or ESWL, patients lie either on a cushion or in a tub of warm water. Intravenous sedation is usually given for the treatment, which takes around an hour, and recovery is rapid, usually just a few days before normal activities are resumed, since no incisions are made. Bruising may occur on the back, and urine may contain blood for a few days. It can take four to eight weeks for stone fragments to pass completely, according to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, which classifies lithotripsy as a nonsurgical procedure. Electrohydraulic lithotripsy, or EHL, is done under general anesthesia. Lithotripsy may require more than one treatment, the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine Department of Urology states.
Percutaneous Stone Removal
Large or hard-to-reach stones may be removed through percutaneous stone removal, also called percutaneous nephrostolithotomy, or PCN. A small incision is made in the back, and pieces of stone are removed directly from the kidney. The procedure may be done on an inpatient or outpatient basis, and recovery takes up to two to four weeks. The procedure is done under local anesthesia and intravenous sedation.
Ureteroscopy
Ureteroscopic stone removal is done through the ureter under general anesthesia. A ureteroscope is threaded through the bladder into the ureter. Another small instrument passes through the ureteroscope to break up and remove larger stones. No incisions are made, which results in a shortened recovery time.
Laparoscopic Removal
Kidney stones are rarely removed through laparoscopy, which is done under general anesthesia and involves an incision into the kidney and a prolonged recovery period; but people with kidney malformations or those who are undergoing kidney repair at the same time may have this done, Shah states.
