Urinary stone disease (urolithiasis) is a common problem in Indian men and women. Stones can form anywhere in the urinary tract, but most commonly in the kidney, and can present with pain but there are other potential manifestations. Modern imaging, particularly with dedicated low dose CT scanning, are very accurate to define urinary stones. Stone management encompasses detailed evaluation of urinary stone formation risk, including lifestyle factors, consideration of different treatment modalities, and overall advice regarding future stone prevention.
Modern technology with minimally invasive treatments are offered by the doctors in our practice and include shockwave lithotripsy (focused soundwaves delivered through the skin, to break up the stone), telescopic stone fragmentation (either via the abdominal wall overlying the kidney as percutaneous nephrolithotomy, or via the lower urinary tract, such as ureteroscopy with laser stone fragmentation).
These treatments offer the potential for safe, minimally invasive clearance of stone, and are offered by our urological surgeons.
A kidney stone may not cause symptoms until it moves around within your kidney or passes into your ureter — the tube connecting the kidney and bladder. At that point, you may experience these signs and symptoms:
- Severe pain in the side and back, below the ribs
- Pain that radiates to the lower abdomen and groin
- Pain that comes in waves and fluctuates in intensity
- Pain on urination
- Pink, red or brown urine
- Cloudy or foul-smelling urine
- Nausea and vomiting
- Persistent need to urinate
- Urinating more often than usual
- Fever and chills if an infection is present
- Urinating small amounts
Pain caused by a kidney stone may change — for instance, shifting to a different location or increasing in intensity — as the stone moves through your urinary tract.
Make an appointment with your doctor if you have any signs and symptoms that worry you.
Seek immediate medical attention if you experience:
- Pain so severe that you can’t sit still or find a comfortable position
- Pain accompanied by nausea and vomiting
- Pain accompanied by fever and chills
- Blood in your urine
- Difficulty passing urine