Urinary tract stones – kidney stones, ureteric stones, urinary bladder stones, urethral stones. A kidney stone or renal stone or nephrolithiasis is a hard, crystalline mineral material formed within the kidney. If the stone is found in the kidney pipe also called the Ureter, it is called ureteric stone. If it is found in the urinary bladder it is called Bladder stone. Calculus is another word used for stone.
One in every 20 - 25 people develop urinary tract stones at some point in their life. These stones form when there is a decrease in urine volume and/or an excess of stone-forming substances in the urine. Approximately 2litres of urine should be produced in a day. Dehydration is a major risk factor for kidney stone formation. Some congenital disorders, inherited disorders and some blood salt abnormalities can also cause stone formation.
Symptoms of a kidney stone include flank pain (the pain in the side of the abdomen), typical is radiating from back to front of the sides of the abdomen, nausea, vomiting, urinary symptoms and also blood in the urine (hematuria).
Diagnosis of kidney stones is best accomplished using an ultrasound, intravenous pyleography (IVP), or a CT scan. Treatment of the stones depend on the size of the stones and the position of the stone and the symptoms they are causing to the patient. Small stones will pass through the ureter to the urinary bladder on their own with time. But larger stones or stones causing trouble to the kidneys or the patient should be treated. Treatment includes pain-control medications and, in some cases, medications to facilitate the passage of stones through the ureter. There are different techniques to remove the stones from the urinary tract. Lithotripsy is a word used to fragment the stone into smaller pieces and these pieces pass out on their own or the surgeon has to remove these. Lithotripsy can be either from outside the boby or can be done inside the body. Ureterorenoscopy (URS), retrograde intrarenal surgeries (RIRS), Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL), miniperc (mini PCNL) are some of the common surgeries for the stone disease.