Stone Disease

Stone disease affecting the urinary tract has been documented as early as the 12th century B.C. Many of the first surgeries ever performed were done for symptomatic stones. Still today, stone disease afflicts over 5% of the population and the numbers are rising. Anyone who has passed a stone will attest to the intense pain they may invoke. Bleeding and infection may also occur. We pride ourselves in prompt, effective, state-of-the-art treatment for these dreaded events. Many stones will eventually pass spontaneously, but for those that will not, surgical treatment is required. Procedures include:

• Extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL)
  A non-invasive treatment where external sound waves blast up the stone, with the fragments then free to pass out of the urinary tract on their own. This is a quick, outpatient surgery that does require anesthesia, with usually little or no recovery time. Not all stones or patients are candidates for this popular type of treatment.
   
• Ureteroscopy
  A minimally-invasive treatment where a long, thin lighted telescope is inserted into the urinary tract via the urethra with the patient asleep. The surgeon can basket and extract stones or break them up with a laser. A temporary stent is usually necessary after this outpatient surgery.
   
• Percutaneous nephrostolithotomy
  For large stones, the best approach (but also the most invasive) is to insert a narrow tube through the back directly into the kidney. A scope is used to go in and break up and suck out the stone fragments. It is highly effective at treating large stones, but does require a short hospital stay.

After treatment, a workup to determine the underlying cause of the stones is often warranted. Factors that contribute include diet, fluid intake, and heredity. We can perform simple tests that lead to specific recommendations for each stone patient.