Kidney Stone Care
Helping you achieve pain relief with diagnosis, treatment and prevention
Get Highly Specialized, Team-Based Kidney Stone Treatment at BIDMC
Kidney stone specialists at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) offer personalized, compassionate care for all types of kidney stone disease. Our Kidney Stone Service combines the expertise of nephrologists and urologists.
When you turn to us for your care, you receive a comprehensive symptom assessment and an accurate diagnosis. Then, our experts design a treatment program tailored to your needs. We offer you the latest minimally invasive therapies for kidney stone removal.
Whether you're newly diagnosed or are dealing with recurrent or complex stones, such as those that occur during pregnancy or urinary diversion, our team can help relieve your discomfort. We can also help lower your risk of getting other kidney stones in the future.
What are Kidney Stones?
Kidney stones are pebble-like deposits that form in your kidney. They result from high levels of salts, minerals and chemicals such as calcium, phosphorus and oxalate in your urine. Different types of kidney stones may be related to your diet, fluid intake or family history. Certain medical conditions can also impact your risk.
Sometimes, kidney stones are tiny, like a grain of salt. Small stones may pass through your urinary tract without causing symptoms. But other times, stones can grow quite large and block the flow of urine. You may feel intense pain in your back, side, lower abdomen or groin. Other symptoms may include:
- A constant need to urinate.
- Blood in your urine.
- Cloudy or foul-smelling urine.
- Constant need to urinate.
- Fever.
- Nausea and vomiting.
With treatment, kidney stones rarely cause long-term problems. However, if kidney stones go untreated, they may lead to complications such as infection, kidney damage and kidney failure.
More About Kidney Stone Care
If doctors suspect you have a kidney stone, they will likely order one or more diagnostic tests.
Lab tests may provide information about your kidneys and overall health. Blood tests can help identify high levels of minerals that can cause kidney stones. They can also tell us how well your kidneys are working. Urine tests can show us if you have blood in your urine or a urinary tract infection. We may also order a 24-hour urine collection test. It can show if you have high concentrations of stone-causing substances.
Imaging Tests can help find the location and size of a kidney stone. The tests may also identify certain kidney stone causes, such as a blockage in your urinary tract or birth defects. Tests we may use include abdominal X-ray, CT scan and ultrasound.
If we determine that your kidney stone is likely to pass on its own, drinking fluids may help move it along. Your doctor may recommend medicine to make your stone easier to pass and to lessen your discomfort.
If you require kidney stone removal, there are several options. Minimally invasive procedures allow us to treat kidney stones through natural body openings or small incisions. These procedures tend to be easier on you than traditional surgery. They also result in a quicker recovery.
Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy
Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWL) is a completely non-invasive treatment for kidney stones. It involves the use of shock waves to break kidney stones apart.
Ureteroscopy
Ureteroscopy is an outpatient procedure performed while you’re under anesthesia. It involves inserting a special instrument called a ureteroscope into your urethra (the tube that carries urine from your bladder to the outside of your body). Doctors use the tool to see the lining of your ureters (the tubes that carry urine from your kidneys to your bladder) and your kidneys. When they reach a kidney stone, they can remove it or use a laser to break a large stone into smaller pieces that can pass naturally from your body. You usually return home the day of your procedure.
Flexible Ureteroscopy with Kidney Biopsy
In some cases, we use ureteroscopy to perform a kidney biopsy. A biopsy involves removing tissue from your kidney and looking at it under a microscope.
Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL)
PCNL requires a hospital stay. During the procedure, doctors make a small incision in your back. They then pass an instrument called a nephroscope directly into your kidney. Depending on the size of your kidney stone, doctors can remove it or use a laser treatment to break a stone into smaller pieces. The procedure may be helpful for large and complex kidney stones. Anesthesia helps keep you comfortable.
Laparoscopic and robotic pyelolithotomy/ureterolithotomy
These procedures are types of kidney stone surgery. They’re used for very complex and unusual kidney stones. Pyelolithotomy removes a stone in your renal pelvis (the area at the center of your kidney where urine collects and is funneled into your ureter). Stones that fill your renal pelvic area and branch out are known as staghorn renal stones.
Ureterolithotomy removes a stone from your ureter. These procedures may be done with robotic assistance and a laparoscope. A laparoscope is an instrument we insert through a cut in your abdomen.
Helping you form a plan to prevent future kidney stones may be an important part of your treatment. This is easier when we know the type of stone you have. We may provide you with equipment to catch a stone you pass naturally. Then, we’ll analyze it to determine its type. We can also analyze stones we remove.
Based on what we learn, we may recommend that you drink more water or make changes to your diet. Dietary changes could include limiting proteins from animal sources and foods high in sodium. We might also suggest limiting foods high in oxalate, such as peanuts, tree nuts, green leafy vegetables and beets. Consuming foods high in calcium may be helpful. But it can be important to avoid calcium supplements. Our nutrition experts can guide you in making a healthy eating plan.
Medications to lessen your risk of kidney stones can be helpful in some cases, as well.
