Information on Kidney Stones at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Kidney stones are hard masses that form in the kidney when too much of a substance is present in the urine. Patients with kidney stones often experience pain in their flank area, but some people experience no symptoms at all. Kidney stones are diagnosed using various imaging techniques to visualize the stone's shape, size, and location. If the stone is small and not interfering with kidney function, no treatment may be necessary. If the stone needs to be removed, it can be broken into small pieces with sound waves and allowed to pass out of the body in the urine. Alternatively, some stones need to be surgically removed. Read more at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health.
Information on Kidney Stones at the National Kidney Foundation
Kidney stones are increasingly common in the U.S. Approximately 5% of Americans will experience kidney stone symptoms, which include pain on the lower side of your back, blood in the urine, nausea or vomiting, and urine that smells or appears foul. If you experience any of these symptoms, you should see your doctor immediately to be tested for kidney stones. Aside from being painful, they can be dangerous if they prevent urine from exiting the body. Read more at the National Kidney Foundation.
Information on Kidney Stones from Intellihealth
Kidney stones are a very common problem, affecting 10% of people in the United States. There are several different types of stones, and a variety of reasons why stones form. Doctors have grouped kidney stones into four different families, based on their chemical composition...Read more at Intellihealth.
Kidney stones: Essentials from Consumer Reports
What is it? What are the symptoms? How common is it? What will happen? Key points about treatments from Consumer Reports.
Quiz: Take the Kidney Quiz
Presented at the National Kidney Foundation.
The Kidney Stone Fact Sheet
A quick and simple fact sheet for kidney stones from the Kidney Fund.
What I need to know about kidney stones
A short brochure from the Kidney & Urology Foundation of America.
Podcast: Kidney Stone Treatment Options
Urologist, Dr. Steven Savage, talks about the different types of kidney stones such as calcium stones and uric acid stones and explains how kidney stones are diagnosed. Dr. Savage discusses the advances in recent years to treat kidney stones using techniques like shock waves or extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy and ureteroscope, which is when a long wire with a camera attached to it is inserted it into the patient's urethra and passed up through the bladder to the ureter where the stone is located. Listen to the podcast at the Medical university of South Carolina Podcast Library.
Podcast: Renal Stones - Radiologic Diagnosis
In this uroradiology podcast, uroradiologist Dr. Nancy Curry describes the medical workup of kidney stones, explaining how CT scanning has allowed progress in efficiency of diagnosis. She discusses the uroradiologist’s role in guiding both the pre- and post-treatment of patients with kidney stones. Listen to the podcast at the Medical university of South Carolina Podcast Library.
Video: Kidney Stones/Kidney Cancer
A discussion of kidney problems with a focus on advanced, minimally invasive techniques to treat kidney stones, tumors and kidney removal. Watch the video as presented at the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Treatment of Staghorn Kidney Stones
Staghorn kidney stones have an irregular shape and are large in size. The preferred treatment is removal by endoscopic surgery. View the major recommendations at the National Guideline Clearinghouse.
Managing Kidney Stones
Certain diseases, medications, and physical abnormalities may predispose an individual to kidney stone formation. These stones may be composed of various materials, commonly calcium. The first action following the diagnosis of kidney stones is to alleviate the pain with medications. Then, the physician will decide upon the best removal method by considering the size, shape, and location of the stone. View the major recommendations at the National Guideline Clearinghouse.
Diagnosing Kidney Stones
When a patient complains of acute flank pain, kidney stones should be suspected. CT, MRI, X-ray, and ultrasound imaging may be used to visualize the presence of a stone. View the major recommendations at the National Guideline Clearinghouse.
Urinary Stones in Children
Metabolic and physical abnormalities can lead to increases in the amount of certain stone forming substances in the urine. Infection is also a possible cause of stone formation in children. Treatment of kidney stones is similar between children and adults, involving surgical removal or techniques that break the stone into small enough pieces to pass out of the body in the urine. View the major recommendations at the National Guideline Clearinghouse.
Free Full text: Options for Removing Kidney Stones
Large kidney stones may need to be removed, in order to prevent damage to the kidney. Surgical removal is one option, but requires a patient to undergo a significant surgical procedure with inherent risks and recovery time. Alternative treatments are becoming more common, such as extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy, percutaneous nephrolithotomy, and ureteroscopy. To determine the most appropriate treatment, the size and location of the stone and the patient's overall health will be considered. Full text available free through PubMed.
Free Full Text: Diagnosing the cause of acute flank pain
Individuals experiencing acute flank pain may have kidney stones. However, a recent study indicates that nearly 10% of patients experience their symptoms due to another cause. Spiral CT images can be reliably used to determine the origin of the acute flank pain. Full text available free through PubMed.
Free Full Text: Kidney stones are common in adults and may be preventable.
5% of American adults will be diagnosed with kidney stones in their lifetime. Stones form over time when excess amounts of particular nutrients are retained in the urine. Dietary modifications and medication can prevent the recurrence of new stones. Full text available free through PubMed.
Free Full Text: A Species of Bacterium is Associated with Lower Risk of Kidney Stone Formation
The bacterium O. formigenes is found in the intestinal tract of most adults. A recent study found that individuals harboring this bacterium were less likely to develop kidney stones. Full text available free through PubMed.
Free Full Text: Distribution and Causes of Kidney Stones
Kidney stone formation is a complex and poorly understood process. Epidemiology, which is the study of the distribution of cause of disease, is revealing new insights into the causes of kidney stone formation. Factors such as diet, fitness level, race, and gender are all associated with increased risk of developing a kidney stone. Full text available free through PubMed.
Abstract: Managing Side Effects of Percutaneous Endoscopic Stone Removal
When a stone is too large or in an unacceptable location to be removed with the use of extracorporeal shock waves, percutaneous endoscopic surgery may be performed. In this procedure, the surgeon inserts a tunnel through an incision in the back. The stone is then removed either in one piece or in several fragments. Usually, the procedure is very safe, but some patients develop rare complications. Abstract available at Pubmed.
Abstract: Dietary Management of Kidney Stone Formation
The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet consists of consuming large quantities of fruits and vegetables and low-fat or non-fat dairy products. Recent research finds that following the guidelines of the DASH diet may significantly reduce the risk of kidney stone formation. Abstract available at Pubmed.
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Kidney Stone Fragments
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Dietary Prevention of Kidney Stones
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Typical Kidney Stone Areas of Pain
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