A kidney stone is a rock-like mass that forms within the kidney due to concentrated levels of chemicals filtered by the kidney.
Small stones travel through the urinary tract and pass without discomfort. However, if enough of these crystals clump together, they can form a larger stone.
A larger kidney stone traveling through the ureter can cause pain. The pain is intense, random in onset, waxes and wanes, and is felt in the back and side, lower abdomen, and groin area. It may be accompanied by symptoms including blood in the urine, UTI symptoms, and nausea or vomiting.
Receiving proper treatment for kidney stones is important, as kidney stones not only cause pain, they can also damage kidneys by blocking the flow of urine and causing bleeding and infection. Smaller stones can block the flow of urine through the ureters and urethra, causing urinary tract infection and other damage.
Extracorporeal Shockwave Lithotripsy (ESWL) is a non-invasive treatment that is perfect for removing kidney stones. Powerful invisible sound shock waves are directed toward the locations of the kidney stones with an x-ray. The shock waves break them up into smaller stones that will be able to pass from your urinary tract.
For larger stones or when ESWL is not effective enough, kidney stones can still be removed with a fiber-optic telescope inserted through a small incision in the back. This procedure is called Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy.
Get the Right Treatment
Find the best option for kidney stone removal with Dr. Kenneth Choi, a Yale-trained, board-certified expert in microscopic genitourinary surgery. Visit his urology center in Tucson, Arizona. He and his team use the latest surgical technology to give you the results you want.
We assess your condition and provide the appropriate treatments that may surpass what you typically find in the healthcare industry today. Find satisfactory results now by scheduling an appointment.