Which department should I go to for kidney stones?

Written by Wang Jian
Urology
Updated on October 25, 2024
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Kidney stones should be treated by a urologist. For kidney stones, a urology department will perform an ultrasound of the urinary system to examine them. The symptoms of kidney stones mainly depend on the size, shape, and location of the stones, as well as the presence of any obstructions or complications such as infections. Smaller kidney stones often do not cause any symptoms in patients unless the stone falls into the ureter, which can cause acute renal colic, severe lumbar and abdominal pain, and sometimes nausea, vomiting, frequent urination, urgency, and hematuria. If kidney stones are accompanied by a urinary obstruction or infection, patients may experience persistent high fever. If the kidneys have multiple columnar stones, it can lead to impaired renal function and cause renal insufficiency. Therefore, kidney stones should be taken seriously. If the stones are relatively large, consider surgical treatment or lithotripsy.

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Written by Wu Ji
Nephrology
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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.

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Written by Wang Shuai
Urology
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Are urinary stones the same as kidney stones?

Urinary stones and kidney stones are not exactly the same. Urinary stones refer to stones in the urinary system, including kidney stones, ureter stones, bladder stones, and urethral stones. Therefore, kidney stones are just one type of stones in the urinary system, and urinary stones include kidney stones. If kidney stones occur, one should promptly visit the hospital's urology department for examinations such as ultrasound or CT scans. This facilitates understanding the specific size, location, number of stones, and whether there is accompanying hydronephrosis or infection, allowing for targeted treatment. If the stones are small, drinking plenty of water, urinating frequently, and exercising can help expel the stones from the body. If the stones are large, or there is hydronephrosis, it is advisable to consider surgery as soon as possible.

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Written by Wang Jian
Urology
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Kidney stone symptoms

The symptoms of kidney stones depend on the size and shape of the stone, as well as its location in the kidney, whether there are infections, obstructions, and other factors. Smaller kidney stones, which are smooth, can be expelled with the urine without causing noticeable symptoms. Stones lodged in the lower part of the renal pelvis or in the calyces can be asymptomatic. If the kidney stones are larger, located in the calyces or the renal pelvis, they can compress the kidney and cause back pain or dull pain because the stones can lead to the dilation or obstruction of the renal pelvis or kidney. Patients may experience back pain, fever, and if there is an infection, localized fever may occur. Additionally, kidney stones can scratch the mucous membrane of the ureter or kidney, causing bleeding.

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Written by Chen Feng
Urology
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How can kidney stones be expelled from the body?

The method of expelling kidney stones from the body is related to the size of the stones. If the diameter of the kidney stone is less than 0.6 centimeters, it can generally pass smoothly through the ureter and urethra to the outside of the body. This can be facilitated by drinking plenty of water and performing physical activity to naturally expel the stones. If a stone gets stuck in a physiologically narrow part of the ureter during expulsion, conservative treatment methods can be used to dilate the ureter, allowing the stone to pass on its own. If the kidney stones are relatively large but do not cause obstruction within the kidney, they can be observed temporarily without treatment. If larger stones get stuck in the ureter or urethra and cannot be expelled on their own, surgery is generally required to remove the stones. After surgery, it is also important to drink plenty of water and urinate frequently.

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Written by Zeng Zhong
Urology
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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.