1. Home
  2. Services
  3. Kidney Stones Management

Kidney Stone Management

 

Kidney stones, also known as nephrolithiasis or urolithiasis, are a common problem and one of the most common causes of kidney pain. Kidney stones are hardened deposits of minerals and salts in the kidney. They can cause severe pain in the abdomen, groin, or back.

Kidney stone pain can be managed with pain medications such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen and surgery, such as shock wave lithotripsy or ureteroscopy. Some kidney stones can be passed through the urinary tract without treatment. 

Hematuria-kidney-stones-nephrologists-in-delaware

What is Hematuria?

 

Hematuria is the medical term for blood in the urine. Although several conditions can cause it, hematuria is often a symptom of a kidney or bladder problem. In some cases, hematuria may only be detectable through a microscope. In other cases, it may cause the urine to appear pink, red, or brown. Hematuria can occur independently or with other symptoms, such as pain during urination or cloudy urine. If you experience any blood in your urine, you must see a doctor as soon as possible.

Our Process

 

Nephrology Consultants, P.A., helps you manage every aspect of your kidney stone pain relief in Delaware. Our nephrologists are trained and experienced enough to provide kidney stone emergency treatment whenever required.

kidney-stones-management-nephrologists-in-delaware

Treatment

 

For small stones:

Invasive treatments are not required for small kidney stones. They could be passed on by:

  • Drinking plenty of water: Our health experts advise patients to drink up to two to three quarts a day. This will help keep the urine diluted, preventing the formation of the stones.
  • Use of pain relievers: Our doctors may advise using pain relievers like naproxen sodium and ibuprofen.
  • Going through medical therapy: Our doctors may recommend alpha-blocker medications to facilitate kidney stone passing. This type of medication relaxes the ureter muscles, which further helps in passing the kidney stone quickly with lesser pain.

For large stones:

Large kidney stones, which are difficult to pass on their own, can cause kidney damage, bleeding or ongoing infections in the urinary tract. Urology consultation and treatment might be necessary to remove these kidney stones. While we don't have a urologist in our practice, we can ensure you get the best consultation by referring you to one. Here are some procedures we follow for removing large kidney stones:

  • Breaking up stones using sound waves: Urology may recommend the ESWL or Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy procedure, depending on the size and location of specific kidney stones. Here, sound waves are used to break up kidney stones into tiny pieces that could be passed through the urine. This procedure takes around 45-60 minutes.
  • Surgeries: Urology may do percutaneous nephrolithotomy, which involves removing the kidney stone surgically using instruments and small telescopes.
  • Removing stones using scope: A ureteroscope or a thin, lighted tube equipped with a camera could be passed through the urethra and ureter bladder to remove the smaller kidney stones in the kidney or ureter. Urologists typically use special tools to break the stone into smaller pieces once it's located. The fragments then pass through urine. Then, a stent or a small tube will be placed in the ureter to relieve the swelling and provide healing. 
  • Surgery of parathyroid gland: Overactive parathyroid glands can cause calcium phosphate stones. These glands are located in the four corners of the thyroid gland. When these glands produce too much parathyroid hormone, the calcium level in the body can become too high, leading to kidney stones. This situation is called hyperparathyroidism and can lead to the formation of small tumors in the parathyroid glands. 

 

Get help with your kidney stone-related health concerns at Nephrology Consultants, P.A. We are present in various locations in Delaware.