Get the Best Kidney Stone Treatment at GEM Hospital

What is a Kidney Stone?

Kidney stones are hard deposits of minerals and salts that form inside your kidneys. These stones form when your urine contains more crystal-forming substances such as calcium, oxalate and uric acid than the fluid in your urine can dilute. Kidney stones can range in size from a grain of sand to a golf ball and may stay in the kidney or travel down the urinary tract.

While people will likely pass smaller kidney stones with little or no notice, larger pieces can lead to painful symptoms, urinary blockage, and possibly even infections. Knowing what causes them and how to effectively treat them as the disease progresses is paramount to keeping healthy kidneys.

GEM Hospitals specializes in kidney stone treatments across the complete model from early diagnosis through advanced removal modalities.

Causes of Kidney Stones

Kidney stones don’t form overnight they’re usually the result of multiple contributing factors:

1. Dehydration

When you are dehydrated, minerals will concentrate instead of remaining in your urine, thus being built together. This is particularly likely to occur in those who live in a hot region or who engage in a strenuous level of physical activity.

2. Dietary Habits

Excessive consumption of salt, sugar, animal protein, or foods high in oxalate (such as spinach, chocolate, and nuts) contributes to an increased risk of stone formation. Eating too little calcium contributes to urine oxalate levels or can elicit an elevation in Urine Oxalate when calcium is inadequate.

3. Medical Conditions

Certain chronic urinary tract infections (UTIs), gout, and gastro-intestinal (GI) diseases (eg. Inflammatory bowel syndrome (IBS) or gastric bypass) can potentially alter the urine composition in a way that increases risk of kidney stone formation. Certain metabolic disorders, that cause large quantities of substances that form kidney stones to be excreted in the urine, also pose a risk.

4. Obesity and Sedentary Lifestyle

Increased excess body weight increases the level of acid in the urine and the potential risk for uric acid stones. Researchers are also investigating the potential connection between obesity, insulin resistance, and decreased kidney function.

5. Family or Genetic History

If kidney stones are present in your family (parents, grandparents), your own risk of stones is elevated. In rare instances, genetic disorders (as in cystinuria; which generates excess levels of amino acids in urine) can put patients at risk for amino acid containing stones.

Kidney Stone Symptoms

Kidney stones are generally recognized as "silent" when developing; however, once it starts to move, your symptoms may occur quickly and with great intensity:

1. Sharp, Intense Pain

The pain usually starts in the side or back, located below the ribs. The pain may radiate from the side and back to the lower abdomen and groin. This type of pain is referred to as renal colic and can come in waves with varying degrees of intensity.

2. Painful Urination

The burning feeling you experience while urinating may indicate that the stone is in the lower part of your urinary tract.

3. Hematuria (Blood in Urine)

You may notice pink, red, or brown urine due to the stone scraping along the lining of the ureter.

4. Nausea and Vomiting

In severe pain, with or without obstruction, nausea is common with episodes of kidney stones that cause vomiting.

5. Frequent Urge to Urinate

A stone located near your bladder often creates an urge to urinate or to urinate more frequently than normal.

6. Fever and Chills

You may develop fever and/or chills if your kidney stone is associated with infection; this is a medical emergency.

If you experience any combination of these symptoms you should get to GEM Hospital to get a proper diagnosis and timely treatment for kidney stones.

Kidney Stone Diagnosis

Accurate and early diagnosis forms the foundation of effective treatment. At GEM Hospital, we employ advanced diagnostics tailored to your symptoms:

1. Imaging Techniques

• Ultrasound: A painless, first-line imaging technique that can detect most stones.

• CT Scan (Non-contrast): The gold standard for locating even tiny stones with precision.

• X-Ray (KUB): Used for follow-up in cases involving larger, visible stones.

2. Urine Tests

• Urinalysis: Detects blood, crystals, or infection-causing bacteria.

• 24-Hour Urine Collection: Helps determine the cause of stone formation by analyzing excretion levels.

3. Blood Tests

Measures kidney function, calcium levels, uric acid, and more to understand underlying issues.

Early detection helps tailor a custom treatment plan, improving outcomes and minimizing complications.

Types of Kidney Stones

Knowing what your stone is made of can help take steps to prevent and/or treat them.

1. Calcium Oxalate Stones

These are the most common type, and are often caused by high oxalate foods, or a low fluid intake.

2. Calcium Phosphate Stones

These stones are found even more often in metabolic disorders, and children with urinary abnormalities such as renal tubular acidosis.

3. Uric Acid Stones

These stones form in acidic urine, and are usually associated with high-purine diets such as red meat and seafood or gout.

4. Struvite Stones

These stones usually occur from urinary tract infections, and can expand very quickly, and become very large.

5. Cystine Stones

Cystine stones are rare (hereditary) stones made from excessive cystine in the urine.

At GEM Hospital, we analyze each patient’s stone composition to create a long-term management plan.

Treatment Options for Kidney Stones

GEM Hospital on-site offers a comprehensive range of potential treatment options for kidney and ureteral stones based on stone size, location, and composition.

1. Medical Management

• Pain management (NSAIDs or opiates)

• Alpha-blockers such as tamsulosin to relax the muscles of the ureter

• Increased fluid intake to monitor for smaller stones that can pass naturally

2. Non-Invasive Procedures

Shock Wave Lithotripsy (SWL) - Using shock waves to break stones into small pieces to pass in the urine.

3. Endoscopic Procedures

Ureteroscopy (URS)- A thin camera passed from the bladder to the ureter, or kidney to retrieve or laser the stone into small pieces.

4. Minimally Invasive Surgery

Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is when large or complex stones are treated through a small incision in the back under anesthesia.

GEM Hospital offers daycare stone removal. This procedure allows you to leave on the same day with very little discomfort at home.

Post-Treatment Care and Prevention

After treatment, prevention is key to avoiding recurrence:

• Hydration Plan: Aim for 2.5 to 3 liters of water daily.

• Dietary Adjustments: Limit sodium, reduce oxalate-rich foods, and maintain balanced calcium intake.

• Lifestyle Guidance: Regular physical activity and weight control.

• Regular Check-ups: Follow-up imaging, blood and urine tests.

Why Choose GEM Hospital for Kidney Stone Treatment?

• World-Class Urologists: Expert urologists with extensive experience treating complex kidney stone cases.

• Latest Technology: State-of-the-art technology with revolutionary innovations in laser lithotripsy and 3D CT scans for extreme precision.

• Personalized Care Plans: Each patient is provided differing treatment based on the type of kidney stone as well as the patient's health history and lifestyle.

• Rapid Recovery Protocols: Most treatments are minimally invasive, thus greatly reducing recovery time and pain.

• 24/7 Support: Immediate access to emergency urology care.

Schedule your consultation at GEM Hospital today and take your first step towards permanent relief from kidney stones.