Kidney Function
Remove waste products from blood which leave body in the urine
Kidneys are located near the middle of the back, below ribcage.
What is a kidney stone?
Hard, solid lump that forms in the kidney.
This can be a tiny pebble or may be bigger
Severe cramping pain in lower back or side radiating to abdomen, groin or genitals as the stone
moves down the urinary tract. Other symptoms may include:
Drink at least 2 liters of fluids (water is best) per day.
Do not eat more than 1,500 mg of salt per day (about 1 teaspoon).
Try not to eat more than 2 servings of meat per week.
If the stone is small enough, might pass in your urine. Urologist can give medication to help with the pain.
If the stone is too big or is causing an infection, Urologist may use a special machine that uses shock waves to break up the stone into smaller pieces. This is called extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, or ESWL.
A urologist can put a very thin instrument through your urethra and into your bladder, ureter and then to Kidney to find the stone. (RIRS/Flexible Ureteroscopy).He or she can then pull it out or break it into smaller pieces.
Sometimes, with large stones, a small puncture in the back to break and retrieve stones is used which is called as PCNL/PNL.
