Urinary Calculi

Kidney stones are hard deposits of stones made up of acid salts and minerals. They are formed in your kidneys when the excess mineral or acid is not passed out through urine. They may also affect other areas in the urinary tract such as the bladder, urethra, or ureter. Kidney stones are caused due to various reasons. They are of different types and are usually made up of calcium, uric acid, struvite, or cystine. Kidney stones are hard deposits made of minerals and salts that form inside your kidneys

The urinary system consist of kidney, ureter and bladder (KUB). Stone is generally formed in kidney by aggregation of small crystals in kidney PCS and from there may migrate in ureter or bladder. Kidney stones are abnormal, hard, chemical deposits that form inside the kidneys. This condition also is called nephrolithiasis or urolithiasis. However, the deposits can be much larger - the size of a pea, a marble or even larger. Some of these larger stones are too big to be flushed from the kidney.

As we all are aware that waste products in the blood are passed through urine. This filtering process is done by the kidneys as it separates the waste products including minerals and salts, which have to be passed out through urine. Many times, these minerals and salts get stuck in your urinary tract and over a long period, this forms kidney stones. They can vary in size from a ping pong ball to the size of a sugar crystal. They are not noticed till the time they cause a blockage. Sometimes, they cause immense pain if they start breaking or are pushed into the ureters (narrow ducts which lead to the bladder).

Passing kidney stones can be quite painful, but the stones usually cause no permanent damage if they're recognized in a timely fashion. Depending on your situation, you may need nothing more than to take pain medication and drink lots of water to pass a kidney stone. In other instances — for example, if stones become lodged in the urinary tract, are associated with a urinary infection or cause complications — surgery may be needed.

Types of Kidney Stones

There are several different types of stones. They form for a variety of reasons. Kidney stones are grouped into four different families, based on their chemical composition:

• Calcium oxalate stones: These stones account for most kidney stones. Several factors increase the risk of calcium oxalate stone formation in the kidney:
• Uric acid stones: Uric acid stones form because of an abnormally high concentration of uric acid in the urine. They are more likely to occur in people who have gout because of an over production of uric acid. Gout is a disorder in which uric acid builds up in the blood and gets deposited in joints.
• Cystine Stones: These rare stones are the least common type of kidney stones. They are composed of the amino acid cystine. Cystine is a building block of proteins. Cystine stones are caused by an inherited defect.

Symptoms of Kidney Stones

• Pain that radiates to the lower abdomen and groin
• Nausea and vomiting
• Fever and chills if an infection is present
• Cloudy or foul-smelling urine
• Pain or burning sensation while urinating

Surgical removal of kidney stones Surgical removal of stones is done with the help of a procedure called nephrolithotomy. It uses small telescopes and other instruments which are inserted in your back through a small incision. It is generally done in case of large stones and when ESWL fails.

Using sound waves to break up stones In this technique, a procedure called Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL), is employed. ESWL uses the help of sound waves to create vibrations which breaks the stones in smaller pieces. This procedure takes about an hour and can cause mild pain and discomfort. Your doctor may administer sedatives to reduce your sensitivity. ESWL has side effects like blood in urine or bruising in the abdomen.