Treatment options for kidney stones are usually based on their size, location, and type. If the patient is able to pass a small kidney stone through urination without any intervention, the only treatment that may be needed is to drink plenty of water and other liquids to move the stone along the urinary tract. Pain killers may be necessary to relieve the pain while passing the stone. It may be necessary to catch the stone that is being passed out in a container and sent to the lab for testing to know the type of stone. This can facilitate in choosing the appropriate medication or diet modification that may be needed to prevent recurrent stone formation. kidney stones that are large enough to block the urinary tract or cause severe pain while passing through the urinary passage often need urgent treatment. Patients with vomiting and dehydration need to go to the kidney stone hospital nearby for immediate medical attention and emergency kidney stone treatment.
Management of Kidney Stones:
The presence of Kidney Stones in the human body often causes severe pain and immense discomfort. To enable the patient to continue uninterrupted with normal activities of life, it becomes essential to medically get rid of the stones. There are several medical and surgical treatment options for kidney stones that do not pass by themselves. As kidney stones have the possibility of recurrence at a rate of up to 50% at 5 years, constant periodic surveillance with imaging modalities is necessary to ensure success in the method of management or to guide further with necessary changes in the treatment plan. Continuous evaluation helps the urologist determine whether the given treatment is likely to be effective for the kidney stone patient. Medical therapy for kidney stones involves not just medications or surgery but a complete transformation of lifestyle habits, mainly liquid intake, diet choices, and food habits.
Medical Treatment for Kidney Stones:
Medicines are useful as an aid in the passing of some stones and as part of an ongoing management of certain types of stones. If the patient is experiencing an intense discomfort of kidney stones called renal colic, pain control becomes a top priority. Other medications used in medical expulsive therapy include medicines that are prescribed to relax the muscles in the ureter and thereby help pass kidney stones. Oral alkalinization used to increase urine pH for uric acid stones and hypercalciuria for calcium stones are forms of medications that help control the formation of certain stones but cannot totally prevent them or remove the stones. Large kidney stones that cannot pass on their own or cause bleeding, risk of kidney damage, or ongoing urinary tract infections require More-extensive medical treatment.
Treatments for Removal of Kidney Stones:
A kidney stone that is larger and does not dispose of with urination, gets stuck in the urinary tract requiring surgery as the obvious choice of treatment. Stone composition, density, size, and location of the stone decide the selection and success of any of the kidney stone removal methods. Kidney stone removal costs in Chennai might vary depending on the procedure used. To get an idea of the cost-effectiveness of various suitable treatment techniques, the patient might want to visit the kidney stone hospital nearby. A urologist uses any of the following treatments to remove the kidney stone or break it into small pieces:
Shock wave lithotripsy uses sound waves to create strong vibrations that act as shock waves to break the kidney stone into tiny pieces. The smaller pieces of the kidney stone can pass through the urinary tract along with urine. This can be done as an outpatient procedure under sedation or mild anesthesia.
Percutaneous nephrolithotomy uses a small hole on the patient’s back through which a tube is inserted to directly remove or break up larger kidney stones. The urologist uses the scope, a thin viewing tool with ultrasound or fluoroscopic guidance to locate and access the kidney stone. The kidney stone is broken up using a power source like the ultrasound or laser, after which the fragments are flushed out of the kidney through an external tube or internal stent.
Ureteroscopy involves passing a fibreoptic camera through the urethra and reaching up to the ureter and kidney without any incisions. This procedure allows the urologist to use delicate instruments that can remove or break up smaller stones. The ureteroscope facilitates the surgeon to have an excellent view of everything inside the urinary tract. The specialist surgeon uses a power source, mostly laser, that is attached through the ureteroscope to fragment the stones under direct visualization. A postoperative stent may be placed for a few days to allow the urine to drain from the kidneys to the urinary bladder. Being a minimally invasive technique can be performed in outpatient care under anesthesia and the patient can return home the same day.
kidney stone Laser surgery is the most advanced and more powerful energy source that can be employed in the removal of kidney stones. Holmium laser for kidney stone removal allows the Moses effect which makes fragmenting of the stone further possible. Efficient breakage of stone to fragments is possible through modulation of the pulse using the Moses effect. Holmium laser enables accuracy and shallow penetration to work efficiently while minimizing collateral damage to surrounding tissue. A further advantage of using this technique is that it can avoid using the basket or is minimized with the added convenience of not requiring the use of Stent too. Laser lithotripsy has become the first choice for kidney stone surgery because it is highly effective and can be safely performed immediately even for patients who present to the emergency room. With the extensive advancement in technology, state of an art facility has been made possible with affordable Kidney stone laser surgery costs in Chennai.
Though there are many great treatment options available to find relief from kidney stones, if the urologist has discussed the choices and recommended Holmium laser surgery, it would be the best for the patient.