Kidney Stones

Treating Kidney Stones

Summary & Participants

How your kidney stones are treated will depend on the size, location and type of stone you have. Our panel of experts will discuss the different options, and how you and your doctor can decide which one is right for you.

Medically Reviewed On: June 19, 2008

Webcast Transcript

PAUL MONIZ: What you're looking at is a patient undergoing shockwave lithotripsy. That is just a fancy name for breaking up kidney stones. If you've ever had a kidney stone, you can say with certainty you know all about pain.

I'm Paul Moniz. Thanks for being with us. Kidney stones effect some one million people in the US every year. More men than women are effected, and they can sometimes occur in men as early as their 30s. Here to talk about what treatments are available are two urologists who treat kidney stones.

Dr. Robert Salant is an Associate Professor of Urology at NYU School of Medicine and in private practice at Midtown Urologic Associates in New York City. Dr. Salant, thanks for being here.

Dr. Jon Marks is an attending urologist at Beth Israel Hospital and the Medical Director of Metropolitan Lithotriptor which are kidney stone treatment centers around our area.

Dr. Marks, let's begin with you. How is treatment determined?

JON MARKS, MD: Treatment is determined in a number of ways. The size of the stone and the composition of the stone influence that, but the average stone of modest size, perhaps less than 2 centimeters, less than about three quarters of an inch, those are stones that can be treated in general with shockwave lithotripsy.

PAUL MONIZ: Which is the procedure that we just saw.

JON MARKS, MD: That is correct.

PAUL MONIZ: That is the most common procedure right now?

JON MARKS, MD: It is. It's popularity has to do with the fact that apart from being effective, it is done under sedation. It requires no hospitalization. Patients can have it on one day and be back to work the following day. So it is advantageous in that respect.

PAUL MONIZ: Dr. Salant, take us through the procedure. How long does it take? What's involved?

ROBERT SALANT, MD: In general, the way the modern lithotripsies are done, a patient is placed on a special table, and using either X-rays or ultrasound, the stone is localized. That enables the surgeon to focus the shockwaves on the stone itself. The shockwaves pass harmlessly through the body and hit the stone, breaking the large stone up into smaller pieces. These fragments hopefully will be about the size of a grain of sand, perhaps a little bit bigger. These fragments can then pass easily through the body and out through the urethra.

PAUL MONIZ: Dr. Marks, maybe you can explain to our audience how the breakup actually occurs with these shockwaves. What's actually happening in there?

Page 1 of 4 Next Page >>