Managing Kidney Stone Disease

Updated on 10/13/09

Follow-up consultation to discuss kidney stone prevention is a crucial component of treatment, especially for young adults and children. The more kidney stones you've had, the more likely you are to form another kidney stone. Follow-up consultation usually involves additional testing such as urinalysis of samples collected over a 24-hour period and additional blood testing, in order to identify specific underlying risk factors that can be modified to prevent recurrent stones.

Prevention of subsequent kidney stones focuses on two aspects: diet and medication. The recommendations for you depend on the composition of the kidney stones you've had, how many you have had, how difficult they were to pass, and the chemistry of your urine. Discuss with your doctor which options are best for you.

See the section on Prevention for dietary recommendations and medications.