Kidney stones are a very common pathology in our society. Especially between 40 and 60 years old, especially among men. Better known as ‘kidney stones’, this pathology is usually associated with industrialized countries, and with sedentary activities, and has symptoms that can be very painful.
Precisely, and according to data from the Spanish Society of Nephrology, between 5 and 12% of the population of industrialized countries suffers from some symptomatic episode of kidney stones before the age of 70.
A common pathology
Between 5 and 12% of the population of industrialized countries suffers from an episode of kidney stones before the age of 70.
Dr. José María Urmeneta, a specialist at the Lithiasis Unit at the Sagrat Cor University Hospital in Barcelona, says that stones are formed from the crystallization of minerals and salts contained in urine. “A disproportion between salts, the disappearance of crystallization inhibitors, alterations in urinary volume or PH, among other causes, predispose to the appearance of the stone,” highlights this specialist.
Doctor José María Urmeneta, specialist at the Lithiasis Unit of the Sagrat Cor University Hospital in Barcelona.
Renal colic, the most common complication
But how to detect them? This urologist points out that, once the stone is formed, it remains lodged in the kidney where it was born, and until it comes off and starts moving, it is generally asymptomatic.
very painful symptoms
Kidney stones are formed from
of the crystallization of minerals
and the salts contained in urine
Most of them are expelled when urinating, although sometimes they get stuck, causing painful discomfort in patients, and even causing renal colic. “If you have low back pain that radiates to the abdomen, and which may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting, or the presence of blood in the urine, you may be suffering from an episode of kidney stones, or even colic, which is its complication. more frequent,” he points out.
Specifically, this specialist from the Lithiasis Unit highlights that nephritic (kidney) colic is the most frequent reason for urological emergency, and is characterized by stabbing, intense and fluctuating pain in the costolumbar area, above the height of the kidney or of the urinary tract, and which can also radiate to the genitals.
The importance of imaging tests
In this context, Dr. Urmeneta values performing imaging tests, such as x-rays, computed tomography, or ultrasound, since they allow us to identify if there are stones along the urinary tract, as well as whether they are dilated or not. of the upper urinary tract, what is the size of the stones, their density, as well as their exact location.
Technology for a correct diagnosis
Imaging tests, such as x-rays or ultrasound, can identify if there are stones along the urinary tract.
Here, the Sagrat Cor urologist remembers that the criteria for deciding the treatment to follow will be based on the size of the stone, its location, as well as its radiological characteristics; apart from whether it is associated with a kidney obstruction, or with a urinary infection.
“Most stones that do not exceed 5 millimeters in maximum diameter will have spontaneous expulsion. That is why patients who have small stones are prescribed drugs to promote their elimination, as well as plenty of hydration,” this expert advises.
One in four cases requires surgery
He cites that it is considered that only 25% of those diagnosed with lithiasis will need an intervention, adds this urologist, while highlighting that today minimally invasive and effective treatments are underway, such as extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, a system used in non-complex and localized cases, whose objective is the fragmentation of kidney stones for their subsequent expulsion through urine.
“Admission is not necessary to perform this technique, and analgesia or sedation is used in some cases. This procedure is so effective that it has displaced open surgery, which until its appearance was the one chosen by experts,” adds Dr. Urmeneta.
But today, as this specialist from the Lithiasis Unit of the Sagrat Cor University Hospital in Barcelona highlights, the so-called ‘endourological techniques’, ureteroscopy (URS), retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS), or percutaneous nephrolithotomy, as they are also very effective in these cases and facilitate a high stone-free rate in just one intervention.
#pain #discomfort #urinating
