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Kidney Stone Treatment

Kidney stones are small mineral and salt deposits on the inner surface of the kidneys. Normally these substances are passed through the urine, but concentrated urine can cause the minerals to stick together and solidify. Passing kidney stones is extremely painful, but they usually resolve on their own. Certain types of kidney stones and persistent stones may require further treatment.

  1. Lifestyle and Natural Treatment

    • Drinking plenty of water and staying physically active are the two most important things to do to pass most kidney stones. The Mayo Clinic recommends drinking as much as two or three quarts of water a day to get the stones dislodged and moving through the urinary system. Certain foods contain oxalate, which can contribute to certain kinds of kidney stones. A physician may ask a kidney stone patient to limit spinach, beets, wheat germ, chocolate, sweet potatoes and other foods with high oxalate content to avoid worsening the condition.

    Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy

    • Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) uses shock waves to break large kidney stones into smaller pieces that are easier to pass through urine. Patients are sedated and wear headphones to protect their ears from the loud noise caused by the shock waves. Side effects include blood in the urine, pain, bruising and bleeding around the kidneys. It can take months for the fragments to pass completely, and patients frequently require a second ESWL treatment.

    Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy

    • Very large stones may not respond to ESWL treatment. After two ESWL rounds, most physicians will consider an alternate method, such as percutaneous nephrolithotomy. A physician makes a small incision in the patient's back to make a tunnel to the kidney. He then removes the stone with a small surgical instrument called a nephroscope, and patients often have a thin nephrostomy tube placed in the kidney during the healing process.

    Ureteroscopic Stone Removal

    • Kidney stones can become lodged in a ureter, a tube that carries urine to the bladder from the kidney. Stones in the ureters can be treated with ESWL, but ureteroscopic stone removal is often used for stones lodged in the mid and lower parts of the ureters. A surgeon passes a small instrument called a ureteroscope through the urethra into the bladder to remove or shatter the stone. A small tube is often placed in the ureter for a few days to help the flow of urine after the procedure.

    Parathyroid Surgery

    • Some recurring calcium-based kidney stones are caused by overactive parathyroid glands, causing the body to produce too much calcium. Small tumors are usually the cause overactive parathyroid glands. Once the tumors are surgically removed, calcium levels in the body begin to regulate, and the risk of recurring kidney stones is lessened.

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