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What Are the Treatments?

If you've had a kidney stone once, you are likely to get one again. So it's important to determine as best you can what caused the stone to form and to take steps to prevent a recurrence.

Because 90% of kidney stones are small and pass out of the body on their own within three to six weeks, your doctor will most likely at first prescribe only plenty of water — at least three quarts a day — and a pain medication, such as ibuprofen or a narcotic . A hot-water bottle can also help ease the inevitable discomfort. You will be asked to urinate through a strainer so the stone can be recovered and analyzed. Once the stone's composition is known, your doctor can prescribe medications or suggest dietary changes to prevent your developing another one. The vast majority of kidney stones consist of calcium oxalate, so doctors may prescribe a thiazide diuretic to prevent recurrences.

If complications develop, such as an infection or total blockage of the ureter, the stone must be surgically removed. Depending on its size, type, and location, the stone is taken out either by conventional surgery or, more commonly, with a thin telescopic instrument. The surgeon passes the scope through the urethra into the bladder or ureter and then either pulls the stone out or bombards it with sound waves or laser, breaking it up into tiny pieces. If the stone is lodged in the kidney, the instrument is inserted into the kidney through an incision in the patient's side. Another method, known as lithotripsy, uses high-energy shock waves to break up kidney stones without surgery.