Urinary System consists of :
- A pair of Kidneys located at the lower end of ribs towards the back. They constantly filter blood to remove toxins , thus forming urine for excretion .
- A pair of Ureters that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder.
- A Urinary Bladder which acts as a reservoir till the urine is voided out of the body.
- A Urethra which carries the urine from the bladder to be excreted outside .
Whom do the Urinary stone affect ?
This disorder is present more frequently in middle aged people . Men are being affected more compared to women .
The incidence of urinary stone is seem to be higher in Northern India because of higher dietary intake of calcium (dairy products ) or Oxalates i.e. colas ,chocolates and presence of high mineral content in water.
Is Urinary Stone a serious condition ?
Urinary Stones are amongst the most painful disorder a person suffer from . These stones can lead to blockage of Urinary flow that lead to build up of toxins and destruction of tissues ,thus causing serious kidney damage.
Common Symptoms of Stones ?
Sometime there might be no symptoms at all. But very often urinary stones are present with typical symptoms depending on their location ,size and shape .The common symptoms are :
- Sever gripping pain ,starting from the flank ,waist or back and spreading to the groin ,urinary outlet or leg of affected side.
- Hematuria -passage of blood in urine.
- Increased frequency of urination.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Pain during urination (stinging ,burning)
- Fever or chills
These symptoms indicate stones related urinary infection or urine flow obstruction .Other disorder such as urinary tract infection ,infection of the prostate ,stones in the bladder and cancers of the bladder ,can also cause these symptoms .If you suffer from similar symptoms ,plase consult your doctor to determine the exact cause .
Treatment of Urinary Stone :
The modality of treatment depends on the size ,location and the nature of the stone . Based on the clinical examination and investigations ,your physician will suggest an appropriate treatment plan for you. The various type of modalities available are :
- Conservation Therapy
- Extracorporeal Shockwave Lithotripsy (ESWL )
- Ureteroscopy Stone Removal
- Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PCNL )
- Open surgery
Conservative Therapy :
Snice the majority of stones are small enough to be passed naturally, many doctors suggest this approach .The wait and watch approach involves drinking lots of water to increase urinary volume in order to help flush out the stone .They suggest to keep your body hydrated .Doctor advice to avoid alcohol ,tea, coffee, chocolates ,cabbage ,cauliflower etc.
Extracorporeal Shockwave Lithotripsy (ESWL):
If the stone does not pass naturally or cannot be dissolved with medication ,your physician may suggest ESWL .This technology generates low energy shock wave impulses that cause urinary stones to become fragmented. ESWL makes it possible to crush urinary stones from outside the body ,therefore minimizing the need of surgery .It is safe and highly effective procedure having minimal post operative complication and faster recovery.
Ureteroscopy Stone Removal :
A small fiber optic called a ureteroscope is passed through the urethra and bladder and into the ureter. When the stone is visualized ,the surgeon either removes it or break it into smaller pieces. This is performed under general anesthesia.
Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PCNL) :
The technique involves removing the stones through a special telescope that is passed into the kidney ,through a small puncture in the back .This is performed under local anesthesia with sedation .Usually require hospitalization and you can resume normal activity within 2 weeks .
Open Surgery :
This procedure is now rarely used for urinary stones due to the high success rate of other treatment modalities . Open Surgery is performed under general anesthesia wher an incision is made in the patients back and the stone is extracted through an incision in the ureter of kidney.Most patients require prolonged hospitalization and recovery takes several weeks .Such an approach is advocated in the case of impacted stones, infectious stones and recurrent stones.
