Kidney stones are small, solid masses which form when salts and minerals, normally found in urine, solidify into crystals. Normally, these crystals are too small to cause any problems and pass harmlessly out of the body. In some cases however, they can build up inside the kidney and form much larger stones.

These masses can remain within the kidney or move down through the ureter, a tube that connects the kidneys to the bladder. The ureter is very narrow and stones can become stuck within the ureter, causing pain, infection and potentially kidney damage.

Kidney stones are quite common and are three times more likely to affect men as women. About 12 in every 100 men will get kidney stones during their lifetime, compared with 4 in every 100 women. Typically, kidney stones develop between the ages of 30 and 50. There are several symptoms of kidney stones: severe, sudden pain from the loin to the groin, feeling sick and possibly vomiting, bloody or cloudy urine and burning sensation when urinating.

Kidney stones are treated in different ways, according to the size, location and number of stones the patient has developed. Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is a very commonly used treatment which uses high-energy sound waves to break down kidney stones into tiny fragments. The surgeon uses x-ray or ultrasound images to target the stones and the procedure usually takes up to 45 minutes. Once broken down, the fragments can be flushed out of the body in the urine.

No cuts are made and the treatment is usually carried out without anaesthetic and patients are normally allowed to return home on the same day. Lithotripsy is suitable for small and medium sized stones (approximately 1cm in diameter) located within the kidney and ureter.

If the kidney stone is very hard and has not responded to lithotripsy, or is more than 1cm in diameter and sits in the lower part of the kidney where stone clearance is more difficult, a ureterorenoscopy is likely to be a more effective treatment. A narrow, flexible telescope is passed up through the bladder and ureter into the kidney to the location of the stone. A laser is attached to the telescope and beams from the laser are used to break up the stone. This is a specialist procedure, only offered in units with extensive experience in the treatment of kidney stones.

For stones which are particularly large or in a difficult to access location, it may be necessary to undertake a type of keyhole surgery for kidney stones called Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). The surgeon makes a small 1 cm incision in the lower back and guided by a telescope, called a nephroscope, removes the stone or breaks it up. Like ureterorenoscopy, this is a specialist procedure undertaken only in more specialist units.

All patients treated in hospital for kidney stones should also have full metabolic investigations to assess the sort of kidney stone they developed. This is important because there are different types of stones, triggered by certain food groups. Full analysis of stone type is necessary in order to develop an effective prevention strategy. Half of all patients with a kidney stone have a recurring problem within five years and therefore as well as removing the existing stones, treatment must also involve an effective management plan to help prevent future stones from developing.

Author Bio: Vincent Rogers is an experienced health journalist, whose articles are regularly published in national newspapers and magazines. For more information about treating kidney stones visit Harley Street Urology.

Category: Medicines and Remedies
Keywords: kidney stones, urology, kidney stone treatment, treating kidney stones, harley street urology