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Overview
Treatment alternatives for kidney stones can be as simple as waiting for the stone to pass or can involve medical or surgical treatment. Most often, kidney stone removal is scheduled ahead of time; it isn't usually an emergency. In rare instances, an emergency procedure may be needed to surgically drain any urine that has accumulated behind a kidney stone to help relieve pain and to minimize the risk of infection.
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The size and location of the stone and the patient's preference and pain tolerance are key factors for selecting a treatment alternative. Most small kidney stones will pass through the urinary tract unaided. However, it's difficult to predict how painful passing a kidney stone will be. Some people prefer waiting for the stone to pass rather than undergoing a medical or surgical procedure for removal; others find this approach too unpredictable and anxiety-provoking. Urologists can facilitate stone passage using extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy to break apart smaller kidney stones that are not located in the lower regions of the ureter (the tube from the kidney to the bladder). Small stones located in the lower third of the ureter require the use of a ureteroscope. Larger stones are removed using a surgical procedure called percutaneous nephrolithotomy.
This section includes information on:
Watchful waiting
Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL)
Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PNL)
Ureteroscopic Stone Removal
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