Kidney Stone Treatment Corrects Painful Condition
If you have a stone that will not pass out of the body without intervention, your doctor may need to provide treatment to help move the stone. Early treatment always involved surgery because the technology to remove the stones without surgery was not available. There are now several methods of kidney stone removal available. The first kidney stone treatment method is the use of a machine that sends shock waves directly to the kidney stone. The shock waves break a large stone into small stones that will pass through your urinary system with your urine. The medical term for this procedure is extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy or ESWL.
There are two types of shock wave machines available. With one machine, patients must recline in a bathtub so that the shock waves can be conducted through water. In newer machines, the patient lies on a table and the technician is able to use ultrasound to guide the waves directly at kidney stones, breaking them into small particles that can be passed through the urinary system.
Tunnel surgery is another treatment method for kidney stones. In this type of procedure, a small cut is made in the patient’s back and a narrow tunnel is formed so that the kidney stone can be located. Using a special instrument, the doctor can find the stone and remove it through the tunnel. The medical term for this procedure is percutaneous nephrolithiotomy.
The ureteroscope is also used to remove kidney stones from the body. This instrument is passed through the urethra and into the bladder, which is attached to the kidneys via the ureters. The end of the ureteroscope has a camera so that doctors can visualize the stone before it is removed. The stone can be removed using a cage attached to the instrument, or doctors can use other devices that are inserted through the ureteroscope.
If you have severe pain that is attributed to a kidney stone, one of these procedures may help you to get your quality of life back. If you do not want to undergo a medical procedure, your doctor may instruct you to drink plenty of fluids in order to help the stone move out of the urinary tract. You may also be given medications to prevent infections caused by the stone’s presence in your urinary system. However, medical intervention may become necessary if the stone does not shrink or does not exit the urinary system on its own.