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Kidney stones
What department should I go to for kidney stones?
Patients with kidney stones need to visit the urology department of their local hospital for standard examinations and treatments. Doctors will conduct an ultrasound and CT scan of the urinary system to determine the exact size of the stones. If the stones are relatively small, measuring less than 1.52 centimeters, they can be treated with extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy. If the stones are larger, surgical treatment is necessary. Currently, the main method is a minimally invasive percutaneous nephrolithotomy with holmium laser lithotripsy. Patients generally need about 7-10 days post-operation before they can be discharged from the hospital.
Can people with kidney stones eat pineapple?
Patients with kidney stones can eat pineapple, as well as seasonal vegetables and fruits, as these have no impact on kidney stones. However, patients should avoid spicy and stimulating foods, and refrain from drinking alcohol. Treatment plans for kidney stones should be based on their size. It is advisable to first visit a hospital for urinary system ultrasonography and CT scans to assess the size of the stones. Smaller kidney stones may be treated with extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, while larger stones may require surgical intervention.
Can kidney stones recur?
Kidney stones are recurrent because their formation is related to daily water intake, diet, genetics, lifestyle habits, and certain diseases. Therefore, even if the stones are treated surgically or expelled from the body through conservative means, recurrence can occur if dietary and lifestyle habits are not monitored or if the primary disease is not controlled. It is important to drink plenty of water, urinate frequently, and dilute the urine to reduce the recurrence of stones. If there are specific diseases present, such as hyperuricemia or hyperparathyroidism, active treatment is necessary.
How to check for kidney stones?
For kidney stone examination, it is necessary to conduct an ultrasonography of the urinary system. Patients can go to the urology department of their local hospital for a formal examination. The ultrasound of the urinary system primarily looks at the size of the kidney stones and whether there is any water accumulation in the kidneys. Based on the results of the examination, an appropriate treatment plan can be formulated. For example, smaller kidney stones can be treated with extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, while larger kidney stones may require minimally invasive surgery.
Is urethral calculus the same as kidney stones?
Urethral calculi and kidney stones are not the same concept. Urethral calculi refer to stones located in the urethra, while kidney stones are stones located within the kidney. The cause of urethral calculi is usually due to stones from the kidney or ureter becoming lodged in the urethra, which clinically often results in symptoms such as frequent urination, urgent urination, and difficulty urinating. Severe cases may lead to urinary retention. If kidney stones are small and smooth, they may not cause any symptoms. However, larger kidney stones can cause localized back pain, and if infected, may also lead to high fever. The treatment methods for kidney stones and urethral calculi are also different. Urethral calculi can generally be removed through surgery or endoscopic methods, while the treatment for kidney stones depends on the size and location of the stones.
How to treat polycystic kidney kidney stones
Patients with polycystic kidney disease who develop kidney stones should be treated the same as patients without polycystic kidney disease. It is encouraged for patients to drink more water. If the stones are symptomatic, treatments such as extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy or percutaneous nephrolithotomy may be considered. The main principles of treatment include managing renal colic, promoting stone expulsion, dissolving stones, or surgical interventions, as well as preventing recurrence. During a renal colic episode, it is primarily recommended to administer antispasmodic analgesics. Commonly used medications include scopolamine butylbromide and atropine, or combinations of atropine with pethidine or morphine. Expulsion therapy mainly involves drinking plenty of water, proper physical activity, and the use of some antispasmodic drugs to help expel the stones. Surgical treatment is aimed at patients with anuria and post-renal acute renal failure, or in cases where the stone diameter is larger than one centimeter, or if the expulsion therapy is ineffective, especially if there are still episodes of renal colic. Systemic metabolic disorders are an important cause of kidney stone formation, thus even after stones are cleared, recurrence is possible. Therefore, to prevent recurrence, it is advisable to ensure a daily urine output of 2000 to 2500 milliliters, avoid drinking tea and coffee as much as possible, adjust dietary habits, and treat systemic metabolic abnormalities, such as hypercalcemia, hyperuricemia, and cystinuria, among others.
How is kidney stone surgery performed?
How is kidney stone surgery performed? For kidney stone surgery, if the indications for surgical treatment are met, it is generally carried out in the following ways: The traditional method is open stone removal, which involves large traumas and high risks, adversely affecting the patient's postoperative recovery. Nowadays, there are some minimally invasive techniques, such as crushing the stones with a laser and then removing the stones through a corresponding tube, or directly removing the stones using a corresponding soft-endoscope. Therefore, the choice of surgery for kidney stones is generally based on related examinations to select an appropriate treatment method to alleviate the patient's condition.
Do you need to be hospitalized for kidney stones?
Patients with kidney stones need to decide on a treatment plan based on the size of the stones, which determines whether hospitalization is necessary. For kidney stones smaller than 1.5 cm, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy can be utilized, allowing the patient to avoid hospitalization. After treatment, the patient can go home, where it is advised to engage in physical activity, drink plenty of water, and urinate frequently to facilitate the expulsion of the stones. A follow-up ultrasound of the urinary system should be conducted one week later at the hospital to monitor the status of the stone expulsion. If the stones are larger than 1.5 cm, surgical treatment is required, which necessitates hospitalization.
Does kidney stones cause hematuria?
Kidney stones can cause hematuria. The main reason that kidney stones cause hematuria is due to the damage to the mucous membrane of the renal pelvis caused by the stones, and even the rupture of blood vessels, leading to hematuria. In this case, it is necessary to use imaging methods such as color Doppler ultrasound and CT to determine the exact location and size of the stones. If the stone is small, such as about five or six millimeters, symptomatic hemostasis treatment can be conducted, and if necessary, drinking more water, urinating frequently, exercising more, and taking oral stone-discharging granules or effervescents can help expel the stones from the body. If the stone is large, it is advisable to opt for surgical treatment as soon as possible.
Do kidney stones hurt?
Whether kidney stones cause pain depends on whether the stones are moving within the kidney. If the stones are relatively large, they generally do not move within the kidney, and the patient will not feel pain. However, when the stones cause hydronephrosis (accumulation of water in the kidney), the patient may occasionally feel a slight swelling and discomfort in the lower back. If the kidney stones are small, they are likely to move within the kidney, which can lead to severe lower back pain, clinically known as renal colic. This pain is quite severe, and it is necessary to go to the hospital for timely treatment.