Renal Stones Treatment

A renal stone, also known as a kidney stone, is a hard, crystalline material formed from solids in the urine. They usually pass out of the body in the urine without incident. However, kidney stones can occasionally grow large enough to block the ureter, causing pain and blood in the urine. Kidney stones have both medical and surgical treatments.

Risk Factors and Supportive Treatment

• Kidney stones usually pass through the urinary tract within 48 hours of their formation, especially if you get enough fluid or have passed a kidney stone in the past. You're more likely to have trouble passing a kidney stone if you're smaller in size, have an enlarged prostate or are pregnant. Generally, a 4 millimeter (mm) stone has an 80 percent chance of passage and this chance drops to 20 percent if the stone is 5 mm in diameter. Stones larger than 5 mm rarely pass without treatment.

  The primary supportive treatment for a blocked kidney stone is pain relief. Over-the-counter pain medications should be tried first before considering stronger narcotics that require a prescription. Severe pain that causes nausea and vomiting may require pain medication to be administered intravenously.

Medication

• Some types of medication may be prescribed for patients who tend to form larger stones. Calcium channel blockers inhibit the formation of calcium deposits in the body, including kidney stones. Nifedipine is a common calcium channel blocker and is sold under trade names such as Adalat, Afeditab, Nifediac and Procardia.

  An alpha blocker may also be prescribed for people who have difficulty passing kidney stones. This class of medication can facilitate the passage of kidney stones by relaxing the smooth muscles that control the ureter. The most common alpha blocker used for this purpose is tamsulosin, which is sold under the trade name Flomax.

Surgery

• Kidney stones that are too large to pass may require a lithotripsy. This procedure is non-invasive and uses powerful sound waves to break up the kidney stone into pieces that are small enough to pass through the urinary system.

  Surgery may also be required to remove a kidney stone when all other methods fail. A percutaneous nephrolithotomy involves making a small incision in the skin and removing the kidney stone manually. Alternatively, the kidney stone may be removed by passing an ureteroscope into the urethra, through the bladder and into the ureter.