Kidney stones are a common and painful condition that affects millions of people each year. They can strike suddenly, causing severe pain, nausea, and difficulty urinating. While kidney stones are rarely life-threatening, they can significantly impact quality of life and, if untreated, may cause complications such as urinary infections or kidney damage.
At Advanced Urology, we understand how disruptive kidney stones can be. We not only treat stones effectively but also work to identify why they form in the first place so we can prevent them from coming back. With the latest technology—including advanced lasers and shockwave lithotripsy—we offer patients safe, effective, and minimally invasive solutions.
What Are Kidney Stones?
Kidney stones are hard deposits made of minerals and salts that form inside the kidneys. They can range in size from a grain of sand to a golf ball. Stones develop when the urine becomes concentrated, allowing minerals such as calcium, oxalate, or uric acid to crystallize and clump together.
Symptoms of Kidney Stones
The most common symptom is severe pain, often described as one of the worst pains a person can experience. Other symptoms include:
- Sharp pain in the side, back, or lower abdomen
- Pain that radiates to the groin
- Nausea and vomiting
- Blood in the urine (pink, red, or brown urine)
- Frequent urination or urgency
- Burning with urination
- Difficulty passing urine or decreased urine output
The pain may come in waves as the stone moves through the urinary tract. Some small stones pass on their own, while larger ones may become stuck and require treatment.
What Causes Kidney Stones?
Many different factors can contribute to stone formation, including:
- Dehydration: Not drinking enough water concentrates the urine and promotes crystal formation.
- Diet: High salt intake, excess animal protein, or foods rich in oxalate (such as spinach, nuts, and tea) can increase stone risk.
- Medical conditions: Gout, obesity, digestive diseases, and certain urinary tract abnormalities.
- Genetics: Some people are simply more prone to forming stones.
- Medications or supplements: Excessive vitamin C, calcium supplements, or certain medications can also raise risk.
Types of Kidney Stones
Not all stones are the same. The most common types include:
- Calcium oxalate: The most frequent type, often linked to diet and fluid intake.
- Uric acid stones: More likely in people with gout or diets high in red meat.
- Struvite stones: Associated with chronic urinary tract infections.
- Cystine stones: A rare type caused by genetic disorders.
Identifying the type of stone is important because it helps guide treatment and prevention strategies.
Diagnosing Kidney Stones
If a kidney stone is suspected, your doctor may order:
- CT scan: The gold standard imaging test to detect size and location of stones.
- Ultrasound: A radiation-free way to detect most stones.
- X-rays: Sometimes used for follow-up on certain stones.
At Advanced Urology, we don’t stop at just finding the stone. We go further to determine why it formed.
Stone Prevention Testing
We offer:
- Blood work to check calcium, uric acid, and kidney function.
- 48-hour urine collection to measure minerals, salts, and other substances that cause stones.
This detailed analysis allows us to design personalized prevention plans—so instead of treating stones again and again, we help you avoid them in the future.
Treatment Options for Kidney Stones
Treatment depends on the stone’s size, location, and the severity of symptoms.
Small Stones
- May pass naturally with increased fluid intake, pain medication, and time.
- Medications called alpha blockers may help relax the ureter and allow stones to pass more easily.
Larger or Symptomatic Stones
When stones are too large to pass or are causing significant pain, blockage, or infection, intervention is necessary.
At Advanced Urology, we use the latest tools and technology to treat stones effectively and safely:
1. Ureteroscopy with Thulium Laser Lithotripsy
- What it is: A tiny flexible scope is passed through the urinary tract to directly visualize the stone.
- The stone is then fragmented using the thulium laser, one of the newest and most powerful laser technologies.
- The fragments are either removed or allowed to pass naturally.
Advantages:
- Highly precise and effective for stones in the kidney or ureter.
- The thulium laser provides smoother, faster stone fragmentation compared to older holmium lasers.
- Can treat multiple stones in one procedure.
- Minimally invasive—no incision required.
2. Extracorporeal Shockwave Lithotripsy (ESWL) with Dornier Delta 3 Pro
- What it is: ESWL uses focused shockwaves to break stones into small pieces that can pass naturally through urine.
- At Advanced Urology, we use the Dornier Delta 3 Pro, one of the most advanced shockwave lithotripsy machines available.
Advantages:
- Non-invasive—no incisions or scopes.
- Performed as an outpatient procedure.
- Effective for stones in the kidney or upper ureter, especially when smaller in size.
Other Options (if needed)
- Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL): For very large or complex stones, a minimally invasive surgical approach through a small incision in the back.
- Stents or nephrostomy tubes: Sometimes placed temporarily to relieve obstruction and protect kidney function until definitive treatment is done.
Preventing Stones from Coming Back
Since kidney stones have a high recurrence rate, prevention is essential. At Advanced Urology, prevention is as important as treatment.
Based on your blood and 48-hour urine testing, we can recommend:
- Increased fluid intake: Often the single most important step.
- Dietary changes: Reducing salt, moderating animal protein, adjusting calcium and oxalate intake.
- Medications: Such as allopurinol for uric acid stones, or thiazide diuretics for calcium stones.
- Lifestyle modifications: Weight management and reducing soda or processed foods.
Our goal is to ensure you don’t just get rid of today’s stone, but avoid tomorrow’s.
Why Choose Advanced Urology?
We combine state-of-the-art technology with a comprehensive approach:
- Diagnosis and prevention: Identifying the underlying cause with blood work and 48-hour urine testing.
- Advanced treatment tools:
- Ureteroscopy with thulium laser lithotripsy
- ESWL with the Dornier Delta 3 Pro
- Patient-focused care: We tailor treatment to your stone type, anatomy, and lifestyle.
- Prevention programs: Ongoing support to reduce the chance of recurrence.
Conclusion
Kidney stones are common, painful, and often recurring. But with modern diagnostic tools and minimally invasive therapies, treatment today is safer and more effective than ever. At Advanced Urology, we don’t just treat stones—we focus on preventing them, too. By using blood work and 48-hour urine testing, we can uncover the cause and build a prevention plan tailored to you. And if you need treatment, we have the latest technology—including ureteroscopy with thulium laser lithotripsy and ESWL with the Dornier Delta 3 Pro—to help you get back to life quickly and confidently.
Kidney stones are a common and painful condition that affects millions of people each year. They can strike suddenly, causing severe pain, nausea, and difficulty urinating. While kidney stones are rarely life-threatening, they can significantly impact quality of life and, if untreated, may cause complications such as urinary infections or kidney damage.
At Advanced Urology, we understand how disruptive kidney stones can be. We not only treat stones effectively but also work to identify why they form in the first place so we can prevent them from coming back. With the latest technology—including advanced lasers and shockwave lithotripsy—we offer patients safe, effective, and minimally invasive solutions.
What Are Kidney Stones?
Kidney stones are hard deposits made of minerals and salts that form inside the kidneys. They can range in size from a grain of sand to a golf ball. Stones develop when the urine becomes concentrated, allowing minerals such as calcium, oxalate, or uric acid to crystallize and clump together.
Symptoms of Kidney Stones
The most common symptom is severe pain, often described as one of the worst pains a person can experience. Other symptoms include:
- Sharp pain in the side, back, or lower abdomen
- Pain that radiates to the groin
- Nausea and vomiting
- Blood in the urine (pink, red, or brown urine)
- Frequent urination or urgency
- Burning with urination
- Difficulty passing urine or decreased urine output
The pain may come in waves as the stone moves through the urinary tract. Some small stones pass on their own, while larger ones may become stuck and require treatment.
What Causes Kidney Stones?
Many different factors can contribute to stone formation, including:
- Dehydration: Not drinking enough water concentrates the urine and promotes crystal formation.
- Diet: High salt intake, excess animal protein, or foods rich in oxalate (such as spinach, nuts, and tea) can increase stone risk.
- Medical conditions: Gout, obesity, digestive diseases, and certain urinary tract abnormalities.
- Genetics: Some people are simply more prone to forming stones.
- Medications or supplements: Excessive vitamin C, calcium supplements, or certain medications can also raise risk.
Types of Kidney Stones
Not all stones are the same. The most common types include:
- Calcium oxalate: The most frequent type, often linked to diet and fluid intake.
- Uric acid stones: More likely in people with gout or diets high in red meat.
- Struvite stones: Associated with chronic urinary tract infections.
- Cystine stones: A rare type caused by genetic disorders.
Identifying the type of stone is important because it helps guide treatment and prevention strategies.
Diagnosing Kidney Stones
If a kidney stone is suspected, your doctor may order:
- CT scan: The gold standard imaging test to detect size and location of stones.
- Ultrasound: A radiation-free way to detect most stones.
- X-rays: Sometimes used for follow-up on certain stones.
At Advanced Urology, we don’t stop at just finding the stone. We go further to determine why it formed.
Stone Prevention Testing
We offer:
- Blood work to check calcium, uric acid, and kidney function.
- 48-hour urine collection to measure minerals, salts, and other substances that cause stones.
This detailed analysis allows us to design personalized prevention plans—so instead of treating stones again and again, we help you avoid them in the future.
Treatment Options for Kidney Stones
Treatment depends on the stone’s size, location, and the severity of symptoms.
Small Stones
- May pass naturally with increased fluid intake, pain medication, and time.
- Medications called alpha blockers may help relax the ureter and allow stones to pass more easily.
Larger or Symptomatic Stones
When stones are too large to pass or are causing significant pain, blockage, or infection, intervention is necessary.
At Advanced Urology, we use the latest tools and technology to treat stones effectively and safely:
1. Ureteroscopy with Thulium Laser Lithotripsy
- What it is: A tiny flexible scope is passed through the urinary tract to directly visualize the stone.
- The stone is then fragmented using the thulium laser, one of the newest and most powerful laser technologies.
- The fragments are either removed or allowed to pass naturally.
Advantages:
- Highly precise and effective for stones in the kidney or ureter.
- The thulium laser provides smoother, faster stone fragmentation compared to older holmium lasers.
- Can treat multiple stones in one procedure.
- Minimally invasive—no incision required.
2. Extracorporeal Shockwave Lithotripsy (ESWL) with Dornier Delta 3 Pro
- What it is: ESWL uses focused shockwaves to break stones into small pieces that can pass naturally through urine.
- At Advanced Urology, we use the Dornier Delta 3 Pro, one of the most advanced shockwave lithotripsy machines available.
Advantages:
- Non-invasive—no incisions or scopes.
- Performed as an outpatient procedure.
- Effective for stones in the kidney or upper ureter, especially when smaller in size.
Other Options (if needed)
- Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL): For very large or complex stones, a minimally invasive surgical approach through a small incision in the back.
- Stents or nephrostomy tubes: Sometimes placed temporarily to relieve obstruction and protect kidney function until definitive treatment is done.
Preventing Stones from Coming Back
Since kidney stones have a high recurrence rate, prevention is essential. At Advanced Urology, prevention is as important as treatment.
Based on your blood and 48-hour urine testing, we can recommend:
- Increased fluid intake: Often the single most important step.
- Dietary changes: Reducing salt, moderating animal protein, adjusting calcium and oxalate intake.
- Medications: Such as allopurinol for uric acid stones, or thiazide diuretics for calcium stones.
- Lifestyle modifications: Weight management and reducing soda or processed foods.
Our goal is to ensure you don’t just get rid of today’s stone, but avoid tomorrow’s.
Why Choose Advanced Urology?
We combine state-of-the-art technology with a comprehensive approach:
- Diagnosis and prevention: Identifying the underlying cause with blood work and 48-hour urine testing.
- Advanced treatment tools:
- Ureteroscopy with thulium laser lithotripsy
- ESWL with the Dornier Delta 3 Pro
- Patient-focused care: We tailor treatment to your stone type, anatomy, and lifestyle.
- Prevention programs: Ongoing support to reduce the chance of recurrence.
Conclusion
Kidney stones are common, painful, and often recurring. But with modern diagnostic tools and minimally invasive therapies, treatment today is safer and more effective than ever. At Advanced Urology, we don’t just treat stones—we focus on preventing them, too. By using blood work and 48-hour urine testing, we can uncover the cause and build a prevention plan tailored to you. And if you need treatment, we have the latest technology—including ureteroscopy with thulium laser lithotripsy and ESWL with the Dornier Delta 3 Pro—to help you get back to life quickly and confidently.
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