What can my doctor do about a problem stone?
October 6th 2006 05:02
If you have a stone that will not pass by itself, your doctor may need to take steps to get rid of it. In the past, the only way to remove a problem stone was through surgery.
Now, doctors have new ways to remove problem stones. The following pages describe a few of these methods.
Shock Waves
Your doctor can use a machine to send shock waves directly to the kidney stone. The shock waves break a large stone into small stones that will pass through your urinary system with your urine. Two types of shock wave machines exist. With one machine, you sit in a tub of water. With the other type of machine, you lie on a table. The full name for this method is extracorporeal (EKS-trah-kor-POR-ee-ul) shock wave lithotripsy (LITH-oh-TRIP-see). Doctors often call it ESWL for short. Lithotripsy is a Greek word that means stone crushing.
Tunnel Surgery
In this method, the doctor makes a small cut into the patient’s back and makes a narrow tunnel through the skin to the stone inside the kidney.
With a special instrument that goes through the tunnel, the doctor can find the stone and remove it. The technical name for this method is percutaneous (PER-kyoo-TAY-nee-us) nephrolithotomy (NEF-row-lith-AH-tuh-mee).
Ureteroscope
A ureteroscope (yoo-REE-ter-uh-scope) looks like a long wire. The doctor inserts it into the patient’s urethra, passes it up through the bladder, and directs it to the ureter where the stone is located.
The ureteroscope has a camera that allows the doctor to see the stone. A cage is used to catch the stone and pull it out, or the doctor may destroy it with a device inserted through the ureteroscope. Ask your doctor which method is right for you.
Now, doctors have new ways to remove problem stones. The following pages describe a few of these methods.
Your doctor can use a machine to send shock waves directly to the kidney stone. The shock waves break a large stone into small stones that will pass through your urinary system with your urine. Two types of shock wave machines exist. With one machine, you sit in a tub of water. With the other type of machine, you lie on a table. The full name for this method is extracorporeal (EKS-trah-kor-POR-ee-ul) shock wave lithotripsy (LITH-oh-TRIP-see). Doctors often call it ESWL for short. Lithotripsy is a Greek word that means stone crushing.
In this method, the doctor makes a small cut into the patient’s back and makes a narrow tunnel through the skin to the stone inside the kidney.
With a special instrument that goes through the tunnel, the doctor can find the stone and remove it. The technical name for this method is percutaneous (PER-kyoo-TAY-nee-us) nephrolithotomy (NEF-row-lith-AH-tuh-mee).
A ureteroscope (yoo-REE-ter-uh-scope) looks like a long wire. The doctor inserts it into the patient’s urethra, passes it up through the bladder, and directs it to the ureter where the stone is located.
The ureteroscope has a camera that allows the doctor to see the stone. A cage is used to catch the stone and pull it out, or the doctor may destroy it with a device inserted through the ureteroscope. Ask your doctor which method is right for you.
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