Our Services / Kidney Stones

What are kidney stones?

Your kidneys are the organs responsible for removing excess fluids and waste from your blood by producing urine. If you have too much waste and your kidneys aren’t producing enough urine, crystals can start forming in your kidneys.

These crystals can attach to other waste products in your kidneys and form a stone. These stones can start out as small as a grain of sand and grow as large as a golf ball, making it more difficult for you to pass them out of your body in your urine.

While anyone can develop kidney stones, your risk increases due to:

• Family history
• Weight challenges
• High-salt, low-protein diet
• Polycystic kidney disease
• Use of certain medications or calcium-based antacids

If you don’t drink enough water every day, you may also be at increased risk for kidney stones because your body can’t produce enough urine to flush waste out of your system.

What are the symptoms of kidney stones?

If your kidney stones are small, you may not have any symptoms, and eventually, you pass them out of your body without noticing.

When kidney stones are larger, you may experience:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Painful urination
• Blood in your urine
• Sharp pain in your abdomen or lower back

Some kidney stones can be large enough to block the flow of urine out of your kidney, which can stretch the organ.

The team at Northwest Arkansas Urology Associates can use urine testing and blood testing to determine if kidney stones are causing your symptoms. They also offer ultrasound imaging tests to locate the kidney stone and assess its size.

How are kidney stones treated?

You may be able to treat smaller kidney stones by drinking extra fluids to move the stone through your urinary tract. If you have large stones, the team may recommend treatments like:

Shockwave lithotripsy

Shockwave lithotripsy is a noninvasive test that uses soundwaves to break up large kidney stones into smaller pieces, so you can pass them easily out of your body.

Ureteroscopy

During a ureteroscopy, the urologists use a tube-shaped tool to locate and remove the stone. They may first use a laser to break up the stone into smaller pieces, so they can remove them more efficiently.

Percutaneous nephrolithotomy

Percutaneous nephrolithotomy is a surgical procedure to remove kidney stones you can’t pass on your own. During surgery, the urologists insert a tube directly into your kidney to remove the stone.

Open or laparoscopic surgery

In complex cases, you may need traditional open or minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery to remove kidney stones that are stuck or blocking your urinary tract.

The team can also provide resources to lower your risk for additional kidney stones, such as recommendations for how much water you should be drinking and what diet changes you can make to support your kidney health.

To schedule a diagnostic evaluation for kidney stone symptoms, call Northwest Arkansas Urology Associates today, or book a consultation online.