Passing a kidney stone can be quite painful. Many times, when passing a stone, drinking lots of extra water and taking pain medication can help.  In some cases, stones can be chronic, meaning they happen often over time, or too large to pass. We can offer you preventative treatment as well treatment while passing a stone.

For severe symptoms, seek immediate medical attention:

  • Severe pain in the side and back, below the ribs
  • Pain that radiates to the lower abdomen and groin
  • Pain that comes in waves and fluctuates in intensity
  • Pain with nausea and vomiting
  • Pain with fever and chills if an infection is present
  • Blood in urine
  • Difficulty passing urine

Other symptoms include:

  • Pain on urination
  • Pink, red or brown urine
  • Cloudy or foul-smelling urine
  • Persistent need to urinate
  • Urinating more often than usual
  • Urinating small amounts

What are kidney stones?

Kidney stones are hard deposits of minerals and salts that form inside your kidneys. They can have many causes. If you pass a stone, try to keep it for your doctor to analyze to help with diagnosis.

Types of kidney stones include:

  • Calcium stones caused by calcium oxalate or calcium phosphate in foods and some medications.
  • Struvite stones caused by an infection, such as a urinary tract infection
  • Uric acid stones caused when you don't drink enough fluids or lose too much fluid, if you eat a high-protein diet, or have gout. Certain genetic factors also may increase your risk of uric acid stones.
  • Cystine stones caused by a hereditary disorder that causes the kidneys to excrete too much of certain amino acids (cystinuria).

How are kidney stones diagnosed?

Several tests help determine if you have kidney stones and what type in order to create a treatment plan: blood test, imaging such as X-ray or CT, urine test and analysis of passed stones

How are kidney stones treated?

While passing a kidney stone, we can offer relief from symptoms with medication for pain and to relax the ureter.

At Guthrie Urology, we offer minimally invasive kidney stone surgery, or percutaneous nephrolithotomy, as a treatment option when kidney stones are:

  • larger than 2 cm
  • caused by infection
  • blocking the flow of urine
  • cannot be fragmented by nonsurgical methods.

During this procedure, your surgeon makes a small incision in your back to remove your kidney stones by inserting a hollow tube. Stones are removed through the hollow tube.

Call 866-GUTHRIE (866-488-4743) to make an appointment with Guthrie Urology.

Our urology team diagnoses and treats men, women and children with urinary tract issues. The urinary system (or renal system) is the producer of urine (pee).