Some tips to deal better with kidney stones
Lifestyle-related tips:
- Adopt a healthy and active lifestyle. This would help you deal with the risk factors of kidney stones like obesity, diabetes and hypertension and also enhance blood circulation throughout the body. Remember that the intensity of exercises does not matter but the quality does. So, no need to indulge in vigorous exercises, just a 30-minute walk would suffice.
- If you are overweight, try to shed those extra kilos. Also, keep an eye on your blood sugar and blood pressure levels.
- If you are a smoker, try to quit this unhealthy habit. Also, monitor your alcohol intake as it can have adverse effects on kidney functioning.
Dietary tips for kidney stones
- Drink at least 10-12 glasses of water throughout the day. Stay hydrated and drink healthy juices and detox drinks.
- Increase your intake of natural citrate. Citrates can have amazing results in breaking the stones
- Make sure that you take enough calcium in your diet. Do not rely on calcium supplements. Rather, fulfill your calcium requirements through natural sources.
- Cut back on your intake of animal proteins. Switch to plant-based proteins for your daily requirements.
- Avoid excessively salty foods. Also, cut back on your oxalate intake.
- Refrain from eating junk, processed and greasy foods.
- Caffeine can have a dehydrating effect. So avoid drinking too much caffeine.
Visit Pristyn Care for best kidney stones removal in Ahmedabad
Pristyn Care aims to provide the best treatment for kidney stones based on cutting edge technologies in Ahmedabad. We have a team of the best kidney stone specialists in Ahmedabad who are well trained to perform complex surgeries in a very seamless manner. Pristyn Care is committed to delivering the best in class laparoscopic, laser and shock wave treatment for kidney stones. The surgeries are very safe, involve no major incisions and leave behind no complications or risks. The surgeries are performed on a daycare basis, so no need to stay in the hospital for long. The recovery is very fast and smooth and you’ll recover completely within no time. So, if you are facing the problem of kidney stones, you can visit Pristyn Care for the most advanced and reliable treatment for kidney stones in Ahmedabad.
Different treatment options for kidney stones based on the size and location of the stone.
Kidney stones or renal calculi occur in different shapes or sizes depending on how long they are present in the body. Sometimes, these renal stones are minute and get flushed out through urine without medications or therapies. However, some stones can be stubborn and keep on accumulating over a period of time. Renal stones of such stubborn nature often obstruct ureteral passage or even form staghorn calculus. Some of the treatment options for kidney stones are as below-
Non-surgical methods – When the size of the stone is less than 5mm, urologists usually recommend non-surgical procedures for removing kidney stones. These may include home remedies, therapeutic medicines, medications such as pain-relievers, etc., that can help flush out kidney stones. The doctors usually recommend drinking excess water and staying hydrated to increase the fluid concentration in the urine. Several medications for kidney stones include –
- Ibuprofen (Advil) for pain
- Acetaminophen (Tylenol) for pain
- Naproxen sodium (Aleve) for pain
- Allopurinol (Zyloprim) for uric acid stones
- Thiazide diuretics to prevent calcium stones from forming
- Phosphorus solutions to prevent calcium stones from forming
- Sodium bicarbonate or sodium citrate to make the urine less acidic
In addition, the doctor may recommend some alpha-blockers such as tamsulosin (Flomax), dutasteride, etc., that can help the muscles in your ureter relax, making it easier for you to pass the stone quickly and with less pain.
Surgical methods – Surgical or less invasive procedures are regarded as the most effective way to treat large kidney stones. Doctors usually recommend surgical procedures for kidney stones if the size of the stones is greater than 5mm. There are 4 procedures to remove kidney stones –
- Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (URSL) – It is a non-invasive surgery that uses external shockwaves to break the stones into smaller pieces. The patient is administered spinal anesthesia to reduce the pain as the stones are flushed out of the body. ESWL is a conventional procedure that may require multiple sittings to break the stones completely.
- Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy/Nephrolithotripsy (PCNL) – PCNL is an advanced procedure to treat kidney stones of size greater than 14mm. It is also known as tunnel surgery due to the nature of small incisions. It involves small incisions near the flank area while the patient is under general anesthesia. The surgeon then uses a nephroscope to locate and break the stones into smaller pieces. If the stone is removed in its intact state, it is called nephrolithotomy, and if the stone is broken into smaller fragments, it is termed as nephrolithotripsy.
- Retrograde Intrarenal Surgery (RIRS) – RIRS is an advanced procedure to treat kidney stones with sizes between 8mm to 15mm. The patient is first administered with either spinal or general anesthesia for a painless procedure. The doctor then inserts a thin, flexible endoscope attached with a tiny laser on the other end. The stones are subsequently broken into smaller fragments and flushed out through urine. The surgeon may choose to insert DJ stents before RIRS treatment. Stents enlarge the passage of the urinary tract for smooth movement of stones. The stents are removed when the stones are thoroughly flushed out of the body.
- Ureteroscopic lithotripsy (URSL) – Similar to RIRS, ureteroscopic lithotripsy also uses a thin ureteroscope that is attached to the camera and laser on the other end. URSL is also an effective surgical option for moderately sized kidney stones. The camera guides the surgeon inside the body to locate and break the stones. The urologists may insert ureteral stents to ease the movement of stones during the expulsion. The patient is administered with local or general anesthesia for a painless procedure.
What to expect after your kidney stones procedure?
The patient is usually under the effects of anesthesia after the surgery and may suffer from mild dizziness and discomfort in case of stent insertion. Patients who have undergone invasive surgery may feel slight numbness around the site of the incision. Doctors at Pristyn Care guide you through the recovery period and monitor your health regularly to ensure you are in the best of your health. You may experience the following after your kidney stone surgeries –
- A small amount of bleeding in your urine for a few days to a few weeks after the surgery due to stent insertion.
- Mild pain and nausea as the stones are expelled from the body after the treatment.
- Some bruising on the back or side after your shock waves lithotripsy procedure.
Complications of untreated kidney stones
Kidney stone is a major condition that usually results in unbearable pain. However, people are at greater risk if they ignore the symptoms by prolonging the treatment. It can lead to several complications that can eventually become life-threatening-
- Hydronephrosis – When the stone blocks the ureteral passage, it creates difficulty for the urine to completely drain out from the kidneys. This leads to the accumulation of urine in the kidneys, causing swelling of a kidney. Hydronephrosis can occur in one or both kidneys, depending on the size and number of stones.
- Renal scarring – Urinary tract infection is a common bacterial illness that occurs due to prolonged kidney stones in the ureter. These stones can cause continuous scarring around the stone damaging the tissues and organs around the kidneys causing permanent renal failure.
- Kidney failure – Prolonged kidney stones can cause loss of kidney functions which can result in the need to remove either of the kidneys (nephrectomy).
Advantages of choosing Pristyn Care for kidney stones surgery in Ahmedabad.
Pristyn Care is a full-stack healthcare service provider associated with some of the best hospitals and clinics across the country. The aim is to ease the process of accessing advanced treatment and surgeries for every patient at minimal costs. Pristyn Care has some of the best urologists and kidney stone specialists with years of experience in PCNL, RIRS, URSL, and ESWL. Most kidney stones surgeries are daycare which do not involve any incision (except for PCNL, which involves minimal incision) and offer faster recovery. Some of the benefits of choosing Pristyn Care for kidney stones treatment are –
- Highly experienced urologists- Our team of kidney stones surgeons are fully trained and certified to perform advanced surgeries for kidney stones. Our urologists will discuss all the necessary information about kidney stones before the surgery. This allows our surgeons to offer comprehensive treatment and make our patients aware of the certain risks involved during the treatment.
- Care Buddy- Pristyn Care has a unique concept of ‘care buddy’ who is present with the patient on the day of the surgery. This care buddy takes care of all the paperwork and various formalities from admission to the hospital till discharge.
- Insurance approval- A dedicated team at Pristyn Care assists with the insurance approvals for kidney stones surgeries within 30 minutes. However, the insurance approval depends on the type of your insurance company and the terms and conditions set by them. Our team of experts will do their best to help you claims any benefits from the medical insurance.
- Flexible payment options- Pristyn Care offers various modes of payments for kidney stones surgeries with no cost EMI. In addition, we accept credit cards and cash payments for the procedure.
- Free pick-up and drop facility- Pristyn Care provides free cab services for pick-up and drop-off to each patient within the city on the day of kidney stones surgery.
- Free follow-up consultation- A smooth and faster recovery is essential after the treatment. Pristyn Care provides free follow-up consultation and proper diet charts to all the patients who have undergone kidney stones surgery for a quick recovery process.
- COVID-19 safe environment – During the COVID crisis, Pristyn Care ensures proper sanitization of all the OTs and clinics before each surgery to curb the spread of the COVID. It is our top priority to maintain excellent hygiene and social distancing while providing a seamless patient experience.
Booking an Appointment with the best urologist for kidney stones surgery
Pristyn Care has some of the best urologists with adequate training and years of experience in kidney stone surgeries. Our doctors and surgeons are upskilled in performing advanced treatment for the best results. You can book an appointment with the kidney stones doctors at Pristyn Care to get rid of excruciating kidney stones pain in the following ways:
- You can fill out the patient form on our website www.pristyncare.com. A team of medical coordinators will reach out to you at the earliest to gather details from your end once the appointment form is submitted. The appointment will be subsequently fixed with the concerned urologist according to your schedule.
- You can directly connect with our medical coordinators via the contact number on our website. A team of dedicated medical coordinators will gather inputs from your end and connect you with the kidney stones doctor near your area and book your appointment consecutively.
- You can also book an appointment through our Pristyn Care app. Our medical coordinators will arrange an offline or online consultation with our kidney stones experts near your area at the earliest via video call. A nominal consultation fee will be charged.