The kidney acts as a purifier in the organism. The urinary tract are the pipes through which the urine formed after purification of the blood is evacuated. Sometimes small gravel, stones or calculi are formed which can cause obstruction of the ureter (pipe), thus increasing the pressure in the upper urinary tract and in the kidney. It is this increase in pressure, like a clogged pipe, which generates the pain that radiates towards the genitals and is sometimes accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
Who can suffer from kidney stones and risk factors
Anyone can suffer from kidney stones during their lifetime. However, dehydration, diet and genetics are the main risk factors.
How to diagnose kidney stones
In order to diagnose kidney stones, the urologist will perform a series of tests to discover the origin of the symptoms. First, the patient will be asked about his or her medical history and a physical examination will be performed. Next, imaging and laboratory tests will be performed.
The complementary tests that the urologist will carry out to locate the stone and the pain will be simple X-ray, ultrasound, intravenous urography and CT scan.
Techniques to treat kidney stones
Once the kidney stone is located, the patient will be informed about the possibility of expelling it spontaneously and, depending on this, the best therapeutic option will be planned, which may be:
– Conservative treatment: analgesics and drugs that facilitate the expulsion of the stone are recommended, depending on the size of the stone.
– Shock wave lithotripsy (SWL): It is performed with a machine capable of breaking the stones from the outside of the body. In order to destroy the stone, targeted shock waves are transmitted through the skin to the stone (short pulses of high energy sound waves). The stone absorbs the energy of the shock waves and the stone fragments into pieces. The fragments are then expelled with the urine in the following days/weeks.
– Ureteroscopy (URS): It is performed with a small caliber endoscope. The patient receives general or local anesthesia during the procedure. Once anesthetized, the endoscope is introduced into the bladder through the urethra, without making any incision. The stone is removed with a special “basket” and/or by fragmenting the stone with a Holmium laser.
– Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PNL): This is the most aggressive option, which is reserved for patients with larger stones.