Kidney stones are one of the most common medical conditions that affect millions worldwide. If not treated, it can cause severe complications by causing irreversible damage to the kidney and the rest of the urinary system. However, we ensure that every type of treatment possible for kidney stones is made available at Royal Medical Center, Abu Dhabi to recover the patients as soon as possible.
What are Kidney Stones?
Kidney stones are small, hard mineral and salt deposits existing inside the kidneys. They differ in size and cause pain while passing through the urinary tract. Common risk factors include being dehydrated and a poor diet. Other factors include genetics as well as some underlying medical conditions, such as obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
What Are the Types of Kidney Stones?
Different types of kidney stones are there which include:
- Calcium Stones: Most common, occur from the combination of calcium with either oxalate or phosphate.
- Struvite Stones: This is commonly related to a urinary tract infection, which tends to grow in a short time to become huge stones.
- Uric Acid Stones: This usually forms because of elevated uric acid levels and occurs in people having gout or those whose diets are too high in purines, red meat, and seafood.
- Cystine Stones: A less common type, since a genetic defect called cystinuria. This brings about excessive secretions of the amino acid in urine called cysteine.
What Do Kidney Stones Hurt Like?
Symptoms of kidney stones vary as per the size, type and location of the stone. Some of the common ones are:
- The severe pain across the lower back, sides or abdomen and thus often referred to as renal colic.
- Painful urination with blood in urine or its presence as hazy.
- Vomiting with nausea
- Urinating frequently, or pain in urination more than it is usually
- Chills or fever, especially when an infection is present.
When a stone moves from the kidney to the urinary tract, the pain is so severe that immediate attention by a physician is required, preventing complications as well as pain relief.
How Are Kidney Stones Diagnosed?
Our board-certified urologists at the Royal Medical Center use advanced diagnostic equipment when they are assessing kidney stones and making up a treatment plan. Some of the most common tests include:
- Urine Test: Tests for infection, kidney disease, and other abnormalities in the urine, such as very high levels of calcium or oxalate.
- Blood Test: Looks for elevated levels of waste products, such as creatinine and BUN, that could indicate the patient's damage to kidneys.
- Imaging Tests: Such as an X-ray, ultrasound, or CT scan to determine if kidney stones exist, their size, and location.
Early diagnosis and proper imaging allow him to devise a customized treatment plan that will provide optimal care for a patient.
What are the Types of Kidney Stone Treatments
The treatment of kidney stones varies according to the size, type, and location of the stone and the severity of the symptoms. Here at Royal Medical Center, we have multiple treatments that would be able to help provide relief and prevent stone formation in the future. The treatments include:
Conservative Treatment (Non-Invasive)
The use of conservative treatment prevails for most small kidney stones with sizes that are less than 5mm in diameter. Complications are a rare occurrence given the size and nature of these stones. A few ways these can be used follow:
- Management of Pain: Given the passing pain, the treatment can be enhanced by the medication of NSAIDs or other pharmaceuticals.
- Increased Fluid Intake: High fluid uptake to flush through the stone and out of the body.
- Dietary Changes: Dietary changes are advised depending upon the type of stone to prevent further stone formation. For instance, salt reduction, reduction of oxalate-containing foods, or purine-containing foods may be helpful.
The patient is kept under close surveillance during this time so that the stone passes without any complications.
Shock Wave Lithotripsy (SWL)
We could recommend Shock Wave Lithotripsy (SWL) for larger stones or for severe pain. This is a minimally invasive treatment whereby shock waves are released into the stone, shattering it into tiny pieces that are small enough to be passed out of the body without further treatments. It can be done with sedation or under local anaesthetic and is successful for stones as large as 2 cm in diameter.
The urology team at Royal Medical Center is using the latest technology in SWL, hence inflicting the lowest possible discomfort on the patient, with a success rate of total stone removal.
Ureteroscopy and Laser Lithotripsy
Sometimes, ureteroscopy becomes inevitable for stones placed in the ureter or too large to be managed with SWL. It is a minimally invasive procedure performed by advancing a small scope through the urethra and bladder to access the stone placed in the ureter. The stone is then fragmented into smaller fragments by the application of a laser that can be extracted or passed out.
The advantages of laser lithotripsy are excellent, including minimal scarring, quick recovery, less pain, and many more. This will be the next option in treating kidney or ureter stones that cannot be made dissolvable by some other treatments.
Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy or PCNL
Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy can be applied, however in cases of bigger stones above 2 cm, or in patients where symptoms are grave. The procedure is under general anaesthesia with a small incision behind which allows to withdrawal of the stone from the kidney.
PCNL can be an ideal treatment for any large stones for which other procedures cannot be feasible. The general recovery time remains variable, however, is greatly faster than if the patient received open surgery.
Surgical Removal (Open Surgery)
Only used less often, when patients have too large stones and are complexed, or they had other unsuccessful treatment options, an open surgery becomes inevitable. A surgical procedure by which a massive incision across the abdomen of a patient can be made and the stone evacuated.
Open surgery is only given when all alternative options have failed to exist as there are already available minimally invasive treatments available.
How to Prevent Kidney Stones
Preventing the formation of kidney stones is always a long-term approach to staying healthy kidneys. The risks for which one has little control involve genetics, although there are quite several lifestyle and diet changes that cut down the chance of causing kidney stones:
- Hydration: Hydration is the best prevention of kidney stones. One should always see to it that at least 2-3 litres of water per day is being consumed.
- Dietary Changes: This can be achieved by reducing salty food, avoiding certain oxalate-rich foods such as spinach and chocolate, or limiting the amount of animal-based protein.
- Calcium Intake: Increasing the intake of calcium through diet (and not supplements) is effective in preventing stones made of calcium oxalate.
- Regular Exercise: A healthy lifestyle of weight regulation and proper physical activity will keep your stone-causing factors under balance.
At Royal Medical Center, our dietitians and nephrologists work together with patients to design a customized prevention plan, programmed individually based on their needs and risk factors.
Why Consider Royal Medical Center?
We believe that at Royal Medical Center, stone obstruction in the kidney is not merely an obstruction, but it has more emotional stresses with it, therefore we have the most sympathetic medical and health practitioners working here; offering complete health care; for the treatment of the disease process, physically focusing on how a kidney stone must be handled but also nourishing the psychological level of the patient.
Our clinic is well-advanced with all the diagnostic tools. Our urology specialists are well-trained in the treatments given. We also ensure that the patient would be kept at ease, and safe, and will get the best end result. For any form of conservative treatment, minimally invasive procedure, or surgery, we are here to provide the highest standards in Abu Dhabi.
FAQs
Q: Can Kidney Stones Be Treated Without Surgery?
A: Yes, with smaller stones, which can be treated with medications and non-invasive procedures like ESWL that pass on their own.
Q: How Long Does It Take to Recover After Treating Kidney Stones?
A: The time taken for recovery varies from the treatment done. However, non-invasive treatments are quicker to recover from, like ESWL which takes 1-2 days. And if the surgical method is used, then sometimes it may take up to a week or longer.
Q: My Kidney Stone Needs Medical Attention? How Do I Know That?
A: If there is sharp pain, if there is blood in the urine or recurrent infections, then medical treatment is necessary.
Q: Do kidney Stones Form Due to Genetics?
A: Yes. If you have a family history, then you have a higher tendency to develop kidney stones.
Q: Which Foods Should I Avoid So I Do Not Develop Kidney Stones?
A: Restrict sodium, foods high in oxalate, and excess animal protein. Your doctor will make a diet for you specifically.
Conclusion
Kidney stones are very painful, which may be an inconvenience for the patient, but if it's diagnosed in good time, patients can have a very effective recovery.
At Royal Medical Center, we have a wide range of treatments available based on your requirements for undergoing it. Our team of specialists ensures you the best treatment with non-invasive treatments and advanced laser techniques as well as surgery.
Contact us today to book an appointment with us if you or your loved ones are experiencing the symptoms of kidney stones, and let recovery start now.
