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Only if it is a uric acid stone. Uric acid stones can be completely dissolved over a few weeks or months by taking prescription oral medications that lower the acidity of your urine. However, if the stone is made of calcium oxalate (the most common type), it cannot be dissolved and must be passed or surgically broken.

It can be dangerous if it blocks the flow of urine out of your kidney. A 7 mm stone is large enough to get permanently stuck in the ureter, which can cause severe kidney swelling (hydronephrosis), permanent kidney damage, or severe urinary infections that can spread to the blood.

The two most common methods are Ureteroscopy (where a tiny scope goes up your urinary tract to break the stone with a laser) and ESWL (which uses shockwaves outside your body to crush the stone). PCNL surgery through the back is rarely used for a stone of this size.

Yes, but the statistical probability is less than 20%. Because the average ureter is only 3 to 4 mm wide, a 7 mm stone will struggle to move through it without medical intervention or medication to relax the surrounding muscles.

A 7 mm stone is roughly the size of a pea or a small M&M candy. While that sounds small, it is nearly double the internal width of the tubes meant to carry urine from your kidneys to your bladder.

If it passes naturally with the help of medical expulsive therapy, it can take anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks. Urologists rarely allow a stone of this size to sit stuck in the ureter for more than 4 to 6 weeks due to the high risk of developing silent kidney damage.