Kidney stones and lithotripsy

[woodsprite]

Don't know what to expect, don't know anyone who has had it done, and that's the ERs recommendation for dealing with a 12mm stone in my left side and a 5 mm one in my right. I have to find a urologist. Any specific questions I should ask? Never had to shop for one of those either.

[rzemanfl]

1. I have had it.

It is easier with female plumbing. Which I don't have. I ended up with a catheter for a few days. Not a big deal though. Don't worry.

[woodsprite]

2. Female, and pretty glad about that right about now.

I can't imagine being a guy and going through this. I've had stones off/on since I was 13 yo, but none were as big as either one of these. Kinda po's me that 2 general practitioners though a 7mm stone wasn't big enough to anything with. Now that one has grown to 12mm. All I can imagine is that it will be like passing shards of broken glass.

[rzemanfl]

6. This is really no big deal. You probably know someone who has or

knows someone who has a urologist. Word of mouth is best IMO. The first time I had lithotripsy they put me in what amounted to small swimming pool. That was over twenty years ago. I had two stones the size of jawbreakers (seriously). It took two immersions in the pool to break them up into sand. The second time (about ten years ago) they used a water filled mattress or something. I had some bruising that time, nothing terrible. You are out cold and don't feel a thing. I did not get stones until I was around fifty. An enlarged prostate caused them. Drugs, including one that is relatively new, have that under control now. Some types of stones can be prevented by controlling the PH of your urine with potassium citrate, which sounds like it should be in a Gilbert Chemistry set, but costs a small fortune.

I was on a tiny device at the YMCA when I sent my first response and didn't think to check your profile. If you have any questions you don't want to ask on the board, feel free to PM me.

[safeinOhio]

3. I highly recommend it.

Male here and it’s the rolling around in the kidney as it enters the bladder that hurts. Exrays showed a large one so they blasted it and there was zero pain for me that way. They knock you out. Good luck.

[woodsprite]

4. Had no idea they knocked you out. That sounds better! N/t

[justhanginon]

5. I have had a bunch of them. I think the last few were with the lithotripsy

procedure. I think they break it up with ultra sound so that you can pass them normally. Been a few years but as I recall I had some local soreness in the kidney area for a couple of days but not anything major. As a footnote, I had the first one back about a hundred years ago and have an eleven inch incision scar and a two week stay in the hospital. I woke up on the recovery room and had friggin tubes running out of me everywhere. Two more like that, scars on both sides, and then the procedure went down to an incision about an inch or so and finally the ultrasound. I also passed a few normally without any medical help. Needless to say I applauded their progress.

On edit; I am a male.

[rzemanfl]

7. One more thing. Don't trust estimates of the size of stones from imagery.

I was told I had an 8mm stone in my ureter that I probably could pass. When my doctor pulled it out and broke it up (don't ask) he said it was the size of his little fingernail.

[GeorgeGist]

8. I've had it 3times...

Last two as outpatient surgery. Had urinary tract infection post -op 1St time. No problems otherwise. I wouldn't hesitate if needed again.