What are kidney stones and treatment options? An individual’s urine can contain various minerals and salts that pass through the urinary tract and exit the body. However, if the minerals and salts in a person’s urine exceed normal levels, these minerals will have trouble dissolving, leading to kidney stones.
But even though kidney stones can be very small, they can eventually grow much larger, so they could likely block the urinary tract. Some of the stones can even grow so big that they can fill out the hollow spaces of a kidney, leading to a slew of health concerns.
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Some smaller stones can easily pass through the ureter and reach the bladder. If the stone manages to make it to the bladder, it will easily pass through the urine.
However, if the stone is too big, it could lodge inside the ureter, stopping the urine flow in the body. Therefore, stopping urine can cause serious pain in the body.
What Functions do the Kidneys Serve
The kidneys are a vital organ in the body that is responsible for cleaning blood from impurities. Along with purifying the blood, the kidneys are also responsible for maintaining the body’s calcium, potassium, and sodium levels.
If any of these levels rise, stones will start forming in the kidneys. Assisting the kidneys in purifying the blood is the bladder, which combined makes up the urinary tract. The bladder is responsible for storing, transporting, and making urine, which will eventually exit the body.
The Different Types of Kidneys Stones
Kidney stones can be of different types, each treating them differently. The four major types of stones include:
Cystine Stones
These occur because people have too much cystine in their bodies, which is one of the main building blocks of proteins. People who form cystine stones do so because of a rare metabolic disorder where the kidneys cannot absorb cystine.
Struvite Stones
It is also a rare kidney stone resulting from a chronic urinary tract infection. Only people who use tubes in their kidneys as a long term solution or who struggle to empty their bladders because of neurological disorders are at risk of developing this condition.
Uric Acid Stones
Uric acid stones form when a waste product (uric acid) reacts with acidic urine to create uric acid stones. People with acidic urine are often individuals with Chronic diarrhea, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, etc.
Calcium Stones
These are the most common types of kidney stones that an individual can develop. While these stones can develop due to an excess of calcium in the body, even people with normal calcium levels can develop stones.
Kidney Stone Treatments
Treating kidney stones often comes down to either breaking down the stones or removing them completely. All of these procedures happen under anesthesia.
Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy
A quick procedure where the surgeon locates the stones and removes them through an incision.
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Cystoscopy and Ureteroscopy
A urologist will use a cystoscope or a ureteroscope to travel up the urinary tract, find the stones, break them, and remove them.
Shock Wave Lithotripsy
A Urologist will use a device to blast the stones into smaller pieces, allowing them to pass through the urine.
Kidney Stones and Treatment Options: Conclusion
Kidney stones can be a very painful condition to deal with and often requires the help of an expert. At Fifth Avenue Urology, Dr. Yaniv Larish has the skill, experience, and technology to effectively and painlessly remove kidney stones.
Call today for a consultation and to book an appointment.
FIFTH AVENUE UROLOGY
Dr. Yaniv Larish
4 East 76th Street
New York, NY 10021
212-675-3186