Kidney Stones
Nephrology & Hypertension serving Middle Tennessee
Kidney stones are known for causing extreme pain as they move through your urinary tract and leave your body. When the pain persists and you need help eliminating the stones, you can turn to the caring team at Southern Kidney Specialists, with offices throughout Middle Tennessee. The team has extensive experience providing medical care as the stone passes and performing a range of procedures to remove kidney stones when needed. To schedule an appointment, call the nearest office or use the online booking feature today.
Your urine contains minerals and other substances that normally stay dissolved in the fluid. When one of these substances becomes too concentrated, it crystalizes and forms a solid kidney stone.
You can develop different types of kidney stones:
Of the different types, 80% of people develop stones containing calcium.
If your stones are small and stay inside your kidneys, you won’t have any symptoms. However, the pain begins if the stone gets too large or leaves the kidney and goes into the ureter (the tube carrying urine to your bladder).
Kidney stone symptoms include:
A large kidney stone can block the opening to the ureter, trapping urine inside the kidney and causing inflammation and an infection.
Your Southern Kidney Specialists provider performs diagnostic imaging to determine the size, shape, and location of your stones. Your treatment may include:
If imaging shows your stone can safely move through your urinary tract, your provider may prescribe medication to ease your pain and relax the ureters.
If you have a history of previous stones, you may need medications to prevent some types from recurring.
ESWL is a non-surgical treatment using high-energy shock waves to break the stone into small pieces. Then the pieces naturally pass through your urine.
Your provider guides a slim scope through the urethra and bladder and into the ureter. Then they use a small basket to remove the kidney stone. If the stone is too large, they can deploy a laser and use it to break up the stone.
If your kidney stone is large and stays inside the kidney, your Southern Kidney Specialists provider makes a small incision in your back, inserts a scope through the incision, and guides it into your kidney. Then they use ultrasound to break up the stone and remove the pieces using the scope.
Call Southern Kidney Specialists or request an appointment online today to get exceptional care for kidney stones.