Kidney Stone Treatment

Treatment of kidney stone disease depends on the size and type of kidney stone experienced by the patient. For small stones with kidneys less than 4 mm in diameter, treatment can be done at home so that kidney stones can pass out through the urine. Manipulation of small kidney stones can be in the form of:

• Drink 6-8 glasses of water every day.
• Taking painkillers because releasing kidney stones can cause pain or discomfort. The medicine that can be consumed is paracetamol.

For kidney stones that are large or larger than 6 mm, are difficult to extract, or cause bleeding, kidney damage, and urinary tract infections, your doctor will recommend the following treatment methods:

• Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ECL). The urologist will direct the ESWL device which emits high frequency sound waves to the position of kidney stones to break it down so that it becomes smaller and easier to flow into the urine.
• Ureteroscopy. This procedure is done to remove small stones that are in the ureter or kidney with a ureteroscope. A device in the form of a pipe with a camera is inserted into the ureter where the stone is located, to break it into smaller pieces so that it can easily be removed by urine.
• Percutaneous nephrolithotomy. The procedure using a nephroscope applies to large stones with a diameter of about 2 to 3 cm and cannot be overcome by the ESWL method. can be overcome with medication. Nephroscope will be inserted into the kidney through the outer skin. After that, kidney stones can be extracted or broken into small pieces using laser energy.
• Open operation. Open surgery is a procedure that is rarely performed. This generally applies to kidney stones with very large size or abnormal shape.

Other operations can also be done to correct the cause, for example for kidney stones caused by hyperactivity of the parathyroid gland. The doctor may suggest removal of the parathyroid gland.

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