Non-Invasive Procedure for Kidney Stones

Kidney stones are small pieces of hard material that form inside the kidney. They can be dissolved in the urine, but occasionally they become too large to pass in this manner. Passing kidney stones can be painful. There is a variety of treatments available.

Hydration

• Increasing water intake can help reduce the size and occurrence of kidney stones. You generally should drink enough water to pass 2 liters of urine daily. The amount differs from one person to the next. If the stone is smaller than 5 millimeters it is likely to pass in the urine without the need for medical attention.

Medication

• Use medication to reduce the size of kidney stones. Allopurinol, used to treat the levels of uric acid in blood plasma, can also treat uric acid stones. Thiazide diuretics can be used to reduce the size of stones caused by calcium deposits. Citrate is used to raise the pH level of urine, which dissolves uric acid and cystine stones.

Shock Wave and Laser Therapy

• Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, or ESWL, uses shock waves to break up kidney stones. The shock waves are created outside the body using a lithotripter machine, then travel through the body toward the stones. X-ray is used to check the state of the stones. The process takes 45 minutes. A small amount of blood is found in the urine after this procedure. There is rarely a need for an overnight stay in the hospital.

  Laser therapy is also used to break up kidney stones that have become caught in the urinary tract. Laser therapy is generally used on stones that are greater than 5 mm in size. A general anesthesia is used before the procedure. A small instrument is guided up the urethra, into the bladder and into the ureter. A laser then breaks up the stone. The procedure takes one to three hours and the same recovery time as ESWL.