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Treatments Available for Kidney Stone Removal
When it comes to kidney stone removal, the treatment works the best for you
depends on the type, size and cause of the stone(s) you have. Make sure that
you and your doctor have answers to all these conditions first before deciding
on a procedure.
Review of the Best Kidney Stone Removal Treatment or
Try it While kidney stones removal could be as easy as drinking a significant
amount of water (10-12 glasses per day) and staying physically active, many
situations require more intensive treatments. This is especially the case if
there are other circumstances, such as an infection, a blockage, or risk of
kidney damage, in combination with the existing kidney stone.
Below is a description of numerous procedures that are currently available
for kidney stone removal.
Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL)
The lithotripsy procedure works has the highest success rate - approximately
90% cure - on kidney stones less than half of an inch that do not pass on their
own and that are located in the upper portion of the ureter or the pelvic area
of the kidney. In general, this procedure works about 65%-75% of the time on
kidney stone removal, depending on the type and size of the stone.
This procedure is done on an outpatient basis and sometimes requires
anesthesia. As the patient sits in a water bath or on a cushion, an ultrasound
machine pinpoints the kidney stone and then uses high-energy shockwaves to
repeatedly shatter the stone into a fine powder that can easily be passed out
of the body through the urine. This relatively simple procedure for kidney
stones removal requires minimal recovery time.
Parathyroid Surgery
Parathyroid surgery (also known by the complicated medical term,
percutaneous nephrolithotomy) is used for kidney stone removal when the stones
are either too large or located in an area where ESWL cannot effectively
destroy it. Considered more invasive than ESWL, the patient must be given
anesthesia. The doctor makes a small incision in the patient’s back to insert a
telescopic instrument into the body that can puncture the kidney. Another
device is then passed through this tunnel to grab the stone and pull it out of
the body or use shock waves to crush it into pieces.The benefit of this procedure for kidney stones removal is that there is no
doubt that the kidney stone is removed because it is not left to chance that
all the pieces will be excreted out of the body through the urine. The doctor
can ensure complete removal because all of it is physically removed during
surgery. This type of treatment, however, does require a stay in the hospital
of up to a few days so that the kidney can heal properly.
Additionally, prevention of future stones may involve surgery to remove the
parathyroid gland, which is located in the neck.
Laser Lithotripsy
Similar to ESWL, laser lithotripsy shatters the kidney stone through the use
of laser energy. To do this, a small device is inserted into the urethra and
passed up into the ureter until it reaches the stone that must be broken up.
Then, the pieces and debris are passed out of the body through the urine.
Ureteroscopy
Kidney stone removal treatments for small stones located in the middle or
lower part of the ureter can be successfully treated with ureteroscopy. Using a
general anesthetic, the doctor inserts a small fiber optic device into the
ureter. After locating the stone, a cage-like device is used to remove the
stone or it is shattered through the use of shockwaves. During a brief hospital
stay of a few days, a small tube is left in the ureter to ensure proper healing
after the stone extraction.
Open Surgery
When the stone is too big and cannot pass out of the body, surgery is
required to alleviate the pain and discomfort. Kidney stone removal surgery may
also be necessary if the doctor sees signs that the stone is continuing to grow
or if it is blocking urine flow, which can lead to kidney damage or urinary
tract infections.
Considered the most invasive of all kidney stone removal procedures, the
patient received anesthesia so that the doctor can cut the skin to reach the
kidney or ureter pelvis to physically pull the stone out of the body. As you
can imagine, the recovery time can be considerable, averaging four to six weeks
based on the severity of the surgery.
Non-Surgical Solutions
Proper kidney stone treatment does not always require outpatient surgery or
long-term hospital stays. There are stone dissolving treatments available, such
as
Lithanol, now available which can help you potentially avoid the hospital as
well as costly and painful kidney stone removal procedures. Please visit our
reviews of non-surgical solutions by clicking here.
Treatment of Underlying Disorders
When looking at solutions for kidney stone removal, it is important to
identify and correct any other disorders that may be the probably cause of the
stone’s formation. For example, a person suffering from this ailment may also
have something else that is exacerbating the situation. These disorders could
include distal renal tubular acidosis, hyperthyroidism, sarcoidosis, and
certain cancers. If you suspect that there may be more causes behind your pain,
it may be best to do some research on the aforementioned disorders or discuss
them with your doctor. |