Is Kidney Stone Removal Painful

Symptoms You Might Experience

Some symptoms you may experience after kidney stone removal can seem alarming, but are usually normal. These include:

• Pain and nausea: These are common and occur as kidney stone fragments pass through your urinary tract and out of your body. Your healthcare provider may prescribe you pain and anti-nausea medications to ease these symptoms.
• Mild discomfort at incision sites, if any: Ask your practitioner about how to best care for these sites, including when you can safely shower.
• Blood in urine painful urination : This may occur after ureteroscopy with ureteral stent placement. Most stents are removed around one to two weeks after surgery, but be sure to confirm the timing of this with your healthcare provider.
• Soreness at tube insertion site: If you have a nephrostomy tube placed, be sure to follow your practitioners instructions for keeping the skin around the tube dry and clean.

Of course, if you are ever concerned about any symptoms you are experiencingespecially if they persist for more than a few dayscall your surgeon.

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When Should You Call For Help

anytime you think you may need emergency care. For example, call if:

• You passed out .
• You have chest pain, are short of breath, or cough up blood.

or seek immediate medical care if:

• You have pain that does not get better after you take pain medicine.
• You have new or more blood clots in your urine.
• You cannot urinate.
• You have symptoms of a urinary tract infection. These may include:
• Pain or burning when you urinate.
• A frequent need to urinate without being able to pass much urine.
• Pain in the flank, which is just below the rib cage and above the waist on either side of the back.
• Blood in the urine.

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Is Kidney Stone Surgery Serious

Well, I completely understand your concern, so now let us explore a bit more about kidney stone surgery complications. As far as Shock wave lithotripsy is concerned, the biggest issue is that, sometimes stone dissolution may not take place in 100% of all attempts. As previously described, this procedure is not good enough if you have a stone in the lower pole of your kidney and if the size of your stone is more than 1 cm. Furthermore, when the patient is obese, re-treatments may be required since in these patients visualizing kidney stone or approaching it itself would have complications.

This SWL technique may not work for stone composition types too. Especially those that are dense in nature. However, this technique has an excellent patient recovery with a less than 1% risk of sepsis or bleeding post the procedure.

Moving on to ureteroscopy combined with laser, this technique is more efficient in removing most stones compared to SWL. This technique as previously described also works for different stone types.

Getting a laser treatment for kidney stone removal requires considerable expertise from your treating consultant. If done right, recovery and complications are even lesser than the SWL procedure.

PCNL on the other hand, is always a last resort option and is reserved only for really large and pesky stones! PCNL is definitely associated with a few complications and requires post procedure admission and bed rest.

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Dietary Calcium And Kidney Stones

Only lower your calcium intake below that of a normal diet if instructed by your doctor. Decreased calcium intake is only necessary in some cases where absorption of calcium from the bowel is high.

A low-calcium diet has not been shown to be useful in preventing the recurrence of kidney stones and may worsen the problem of weak bones. People with calcium-containing stones may be at greater risk of developing weak bones and osteoporosis. Discuss this risk with your doctor.

When Is Lithotripsy Used

Kidney stones are usually small enough to pass through the urinary tract along with urine. In some cases, the stones are too large to pass on their own. Lithotripsy is normally used when:

Stones are too large to pass Stones are blocking the flow of urine. Stones are causing bleeding or infection Pain medication isnt effective when trying to pass stones

Some stones may be too large to treat with shockwave lithotripsy. The size, shape, location, and the number of stones will all be evaluated to see if this procedure is appropriate.

Your doctor may advise alternate treatment if you are pregnant, weigh over 300 pounds, have a pacemaker, kidney cancer, kidney infection, or on medications for cardiac conditions.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Shockwave Lithotripsy

Where are your SWL services available?

We offer SWL services at our Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital locations

Why should I choose SWL?

SWL is an outpatient procedure, and one of the preferred treatments for small- to medium-sized stones. It is considered a safe and effective procedure with an excellent track record. As it is an outpatient procedure, you will be home just a few hours after the procedure. Recovery is generally very rapid.

Does SWL have any limitations?

As with any technology, there are limitations. Certain types of stones are very hard and resistant to breakage with shockwaves. Other, less common stones are invisible on X-ray, which means that they cannot be targeted for treatment. Therefore, if you have a history of cystine, monohydrate or uric acid stones, SWL may not be the best treatment for you.

Also, very large stones or stones that have traveled into the lower part of the urinary tract may be better treated by other methods. There are also some patient factors, including other medical conditions, which may affect your suitability for SWL. For instance, patients who are on blood-thinning medications or who may be pregnant should not undergo SWL procedures.

Is SWL associated with any side effects?

How can I make an appointment to discuss SWL with a Washington University urologist?

Please call 362-8200 to schedule an appointment at any of our clinic locations.

Avoiding Recurrence Of Kidney Stones

If you have had one kidney stone, some tips that may help to prevent a second stone forming include:

• Talk to your doctor about the cause of the previous stone.
• Ask your doctor to check whether the medications you are on could be causing your stones. Do not stop your medications without talking to your doctor.
• Get quick and proper treatment of urinary infections.
• Avoid dehydration. Drink enough fluids to keep your urine volume at or above two litres a day. This can halve your risk of getting a second stone by lowering the concentration of stone-forming chemicals in your urine.
• Avoid drinking too much tea or coffee. Juices may reduce the risk of some stones, particularly orange, grapefruit and cranberry. Ask your doctor for advice.
• Reduce your salt intake to lower the risk of calcium-containing stones. Dont add salt while cooking and leave the saltshaker off the table. Choose low- or no-salt processed foods.
• Avoid drinking more than one litre per week of drinks that contain phosphoric acid, which is used to flavour carbonated drinks such as cola and beer.
• Always talk to your doctor before making changes to your diet.

Drinking mineral water is fine it cannot cause kidney stones because it contains only trace elements of minerals.

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Treating Small Kidney Stones

Small kidney stones may cause pain until you pass them, which usually takes 1 or 2 days.

A GP may recommend a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug to help with pain.

To ease your symptoms, a GP might also recommend:

• drinking plenty of fluids throughout the day
• anti-sickness medicine

You might be advised to drink up to 3 litres of fluid throughout the day, every day, until the stones have cleared.

To help your stones pass:

• drink water, but drinks like tea and coffee also count
• add fresh lemon juice to your water
• avoid fizzy drinks
• do not eat too much salt

Make sure you’re drinking enough fluid. If your pee is dark, it means you’re not drinking enough. Your pee should be pale in colour.

You may be advised to continue drinking this much fluid to prevent new stones forming.

If your kidney stones are causing severe pain, your GP may send you to hospital for tests and treatment.

What To Expect Back Home

At hospital discharge, your doctor or nurse will give you instructions for rest, driving, and doing physical activities after the procedure.

Because surgical instruments were inserted into your urinary tract, you may experience urinary symptoms for some time after surgery. These symptoms usually disappear in a few weeks.

Symptoms may include:

• a mild burning feeling when urinating
• small amounts of blood in the urine
• mild discomfort in the bladder area or kidney area when urinating
• need to urinate more frequently or urgently
• pain resulting from an internal abrasion that needs time to heal

Try to drink fluids often but in small quantities. Sometimes a blood clot can cause pain . The urine contains a substance that will dissolve this clot.

If the pain remains despite the use of pain medication, contact the hospital or your doctor.

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Preparing For Your Ureteroscopy

Before your procedure, we may perform an X-ray and lab tests. We also might ask you for a urine sample to make sure you dont have an infection. If we determine you have an issue, we ask you not to urinate for an hour before we begin your ureteroscopy.

To prepare you for your procedure, we apply monitoring devices on your body and give you an antibiotic to keep your body free of infection.

Are There Any Restrictions

Your doctor will let you know if you have any restrictions following urinary stent placement.

Typically, you can perform most activities, work, and even sexual activity with a stent in place, providing it doesnt cause you great discomfort to do so.

There is one exception: when you have a stent with an extraction string. This is a special stent designed so you can remove the stent yourself after its been in place for a certain amount of time.

Stents with strings have a slightly higher rate of dislodgment. Avoid sexual activity while you have one in place to prevent dislodging the stent.

According to a 2015 study , people with stent strings also reported a bit more sleep disturbances than people who had stents without strings.

When you sleep, make sure the string is in a place where you can locate it easily. Sometimes, your doctor will tape the strings down to your leg or groin until you remove it.

Stent-related irritation can cause a lot of different symptoms including discomfort. Examples include:

• visible blood in urine
• incontinence, or loss of control over urine
• pain when urinating

Ideally, these symptoms will subside within a few days after the stent placement when youre more used to the stents presence.

A urinary stents presence can increase the risks of a urinary tract infection . Call your doctor if you experience some of the following symptoms, as they can indicate you may have an infection:

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Medication For Kidney Stones

For most people with recurrent calcium stones, a combination of drinking enough fluids, avoiding urinary infections, and specific treatment with medications will significantly reduce or stop new stone formation.

Certain medications such as thiazide diuretics or indapamide reduce calcium excretion and decrease the chance of another calcium stone. Potassium citrate or citric juices are used to supplement thiazide treatment and are used by themselves for some conditions where the urine is too acidic.

For people who have a high level of uric acid in their urine, or who make uric acid stones, the medication allopurinol will usually stop the formation of new stones.

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What Are The Risks Of Ureteroscopy

The risks of ureteroscopy treatment include infection, bleeding and injury to the ureter. There is a one in 1000 risk of a major injury that could require an extensive surgery to repair. Your healthcare provider may need to use a stent and leave it in place for one to two weeks to help your kidney heal and drain. If you have a stent, an appointment will be made to have it removed.

Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 02/08/2021.

References

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What Are Kidney Stones

Kidney stones are solid crystals formed from the salts in urine. They are sometimes called renal calculi. Kidney stones can block the flow of urine and cause infection, kidney damage or even kidney failure. They can vary in size and location.

The risk of kidney stones is about one in 10 for men and one in 35 for women. Between four and eight per cent of the Australian population suffer from kidney stones at any time.

After having one kidney stone, the chance of getting a second stone is between five and 10 per cent each year. Thirty to fifty per cent of people with a first kidney stone will get a second stone within five years. After five years, the risk declines. However, some people keep getting stones their whole lives.

How Long Does It Take To Pass A Kidney Stone

The amount of time that it takes to pass a kidney stone can vary depending on the size of the stone. Generally, small stones are able to pass through the urine within 1-2 weeks , often without any treatment.

On the other hand, larger stones may take 2-3 weeks to move through the kidneys and into the bladder.

Stones that dont pass on their own within 4 weeks typically require medical treatment.

2.5 liters of urine each day. Increasing the amount of urine you pass helps flush the kidneys.

You can substitute ginger ale, lemon-lime soda, and fruit juice for water to help you increase your fluid intake. If the stones are related to low citrate levels, citrate juices could help prevent the formation of stones.

Eating oxalate-rich foods in moderation and reducing your intake of salt and animal proteins can also lower your risk of kidney stones.

Your doctor may prescribe medications to help prevent the formation of calcium and uric acid stones. If youve had a kidney stone or youre at risk for a kidney stone, speak with your doctor and discuss the best methods of prevention.

In addition to drinking more water, making modifications to your diet could also help prevent kidney stones.

Here are some foods that you may need to

Animal proteins like meat, poultry, seafood, and dairy products can increase levels of uric acid in your urine and increase the risk of developing kidney stones.

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Stent Removal After Kidney Stone Laser

Similar to ureteral stones, kidney stones can be fragmented and removed with baskets. Occasionally, a kidney stone will fragment with a laser into very small. Jun 26, 2011 · In most patients, stent removal is a relief as their stent discomfort goes away. However, in some patients, severe pain may occur for several hours.

The stent is usually removed after a few days to a few weeks depending on the particular circumstances. Ureteric stents cannot stay in the body indefinitely (.

Following URS, clinicians may omit ureteral stenting in patients meeting all of the.

Index Patient 12: Adult, renal stone with pain and no obstruction.

The ureteral stent is typically removed in the office, usually within 1-2 weeks after the procedure but may be left for longer after complex procedures. If you have any questions, to schedule a consultation or if you need a second opinion, please contact us or call: 646-663-4421. Dr. Alex Shteynshlyuger is a board certified urologist in NYC who.

If you have had a stent inserted after kidney stone surgery, it is temporary and only needed for a short period of time. There are two main methods for removal. For most patients, the stent will only stay in place for 5-7 days. Is a stent necessary after kidney stone removal? The routine placement of a ureteral catheter or stent following.

The stent removal does not hurt at all, I removed mine myself. The after effect of bladder spasms and kidney pain had me going back to the emergency room.

Recovery Instructions After Kidney Removal

Activity

• Take rest whenever you feel tired. Getting plenty of sleep may speed your recovery.
• Go to walk every day. Increase the distance you walk daily. Walking increases circulation of blood and prevents constipation and pneumonia.
• Dont do strenuous activities and exercises in which your belly muscles are used such as jogging, cycling, aerobic exercises or weight lifting until your physician recommends you to do them.
• For a period of at least four weeks, dont lift anything that causes straining of muscles such as lifting a child, milk containers, heavy bags of groceries, cat litter, vacuum cleaner or heavy backpack or briefcase etc.
• Place a pillow on the incisions while you take deep breaths or coughs to support your stomach and decrease pain.
• What is the recovery time for kidney removal? Discuss with your physician about the time you can resume driving.
• You may have to take four to six weeks off from your work.
• You may take showers however, if a drainage tube is put near the incisions avoid taking bath for the initial two weeks. Follow the instructions of your doctor to empty and take care of the drainage tube.
• Ask your physician when you can resume having sex.

Diet

Incision Care

Follow-Up Care Forms a Vital Part of Treatment

Make sure to be regular with all appointment. Call your physician or nurse line in case of any problems. You can also keep a list of medications you take and know the results of your tests.

Monitor Your Kidney Function

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