A piercing pain can stop you in your tracks and send you straight to the hospital- whether you’re on your way to work or taking it easy at home. Nausea, sharp pains along your side or abdomen, and blood in your urine are just a few side effects of kidney stones.
If the tests confirm a kidney stone diagnosis. You may start searching for treatment options. However, Laser treatment could be an option at the best kidney stone hospital in Siliguri, but it isn’t always the right approach for every patient or stone. The decision should be based on size, location, symptoms, blockage, infection risk, and health.
What is Laser Treatment For Kidney Stones?
Laser treatment is typically performed with a ureteroscope. The urologist passes the thin tube up the urethra and into the bladder, where they advance it further up the ureter until they see the stone. They use a laser to break the stone. They either remove it, or it can pass through the urinary tract. Sometimes a basket-like instrument is used to remove large fragments.
The procedure is typically done without an incision. Depending on the situation, the doctor may insert a stent to keep the ureter open.
When is Laser Treatment an option?
Not all kidney stones require surgery. If the stone is small, isn’t causing significant symptoms or complications, and can pass on its own, your doctor may suggest waiting it out and treating any pain or discomfort.
Laser kidney stone treatment in Siliguri may be an option if:
- The stone has become impacted and isn’t passing
- You’re experiencing recurring or severe pain
- The stone blocks the flow of urine
- The stone is causing bleeding or an infection
- Sometimes the stone cannot pass on its own
- The size and location of the stone
If you’re considering ureteroscopic lithotripsy, this type of procedure isn’t always right for every patient or kidney stone.
What happens before the procedure?
Before recommending ureteroscopy, the urologist needs a picture of the stone. Evaluation may include imaging, urine testing, blood tests, and previous stone history.
Your doctor also needs to know about medicines, allergies, surgeries, and symptoms suggesting infection. An active urinary infection requires careful management before definitive stone treatment because instrumentation during infection can create serious complications.
Follow your hospital’s instructions about fasting, medicines, and arrival time.
Why do doctors use lasers?
Laser energy gives the surgeon precise control while breaking a stone into smaller pieces. This process reaches stones that may be difficult to treat otherwise. A flexible ureteroscope can access different kidney areas without an incision.
The surgeon may break the stone into very small fragments, often called dusting.
The National Institutes of Health notes that ureteroscopy can treat kidney and ureter stones and that a laser can break stones too large to remove whole.
What are the possible benefits?
Laser ureteroscopy can offer several practical advantages for selected patients:
- This process helps directly see the stone.
- It also treats stones in the ureter and kidney.
- It does not always require an external skin incision.
- Many patients can return home the same day or after a stay.
- It can provide an alternative when shock wave treatment may not suit the stone’s size or location.
A specialist should still compare ureteroscopy, shock wave lithotripsy, and PCNL.
Who may not need laser treatment?
When there is a reasonable expectation that the stone will pass, surgery to remove it right away may not be necessary, unless there are complicating factors such as a blockage, severe pain, infection, or kidney damage. This is why a Kidney stone specialist in Siliguri will review the scan and the symptoms rather than recommending one specific treatment option.
Post-Operative Expectations
After laser kidney stone surgery, you may experience some burning with urination, frequent urination, discomfort, or blood in the urine for a few days. A stent may cause frequent urination or discomfort until the doctor removes it.
The extent of your recovery will depend on the type of procedure performed, size of the stone, your health, and other factors. You may be able to resume normal activities within a few days, but be sure to follow your doctor’s recommendation for post-operative care. Another procedure may be necessary to ensure the stone has passed and/ or the stent is removed.
Another surgery might also be required if any fragments of the stone remain.
Risks and Complications
Any surgery or procedure to remove a kidney stone carries some risk and possible complications. Ureteroscopy may result in a urinary tract infection, bleeding, pain, or an injury to the ureter that could narrow it or cause a blockage. Fragments of the stone could potentially cause a blockage as well.
If you experience any of the following after having laser surgery to remove a kidney stone, seek medical attention right away:
- A fever or chills
- Severe pain
- You are unable to urinate
- Heavy bleeding
- You feel generally unwell
Comparison to other treatment options
There are typically three types of procedures a urologist may use to remove a kidney stone: extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWT), ureteroscopy, and percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL).
ESWT is a non-invasive procedure. It uses shock waves to break the stone from the outside of the body.
To perform a ureteroscopy, a doctor passes a small tube through the urethra and bladder directly into the ureter to access the stone. PCNL is performed by making a small incision in the back and inserting a scope directly into the kidney. The type of procedure performed will depend on several different factors, including the size and location of the stone.
The NHS website states that the three main types of surgery for kidney stones are extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, ureteroscopy, and percutaneous nephrolithotomy, and that the location and size of the stone impact which type of surgery is needed.
How to Decide If Laser Kidney Stone Removal Is Right for You
When visiting the best kidney stone doctor in Siliguri, you should be able to get a detailed explanation of why a particular procedure is right for you. Be sure to ask the following questions:
- What is the size and location of the stone?
- Can it pass on its own?
- Is it blocking the ureter?
- Do I need more than one procedure?
- How will you know if the stone has passed?
- What can I do to ensure another stone doesn’t form?
Final Thoughts
Although laser treatment for kidney stones may have some distinct advantages, the term itself shouldn’t be the deciding factor in choosing one procedure over another. The treatment option should always be based on the individual situation. If you are considering visiting the best kidney stone hospital in Siliguri, make sure to ask all the right questions so that you can make the best decision for your situation.
FAQs
1. Is laser treatment painful?
Ureteroscopy is performed under anesthesia, so you shouldn’t feel any pain during the procedure. You might experience some discomfort, burning with urination, or stent-related discomfort after the surgery.
2. Can laser treatment remove all kidney stones?
The procedure can typically remove most kidney stones, but it may not always be an option. Large kidney stones may need to be addressed with a different type of procedure, such as PCNL.
3. How long will the recovery take?
Most people can resume normal activities within a few days of having the procedure, but it will depend on the individual and the circumstances.
4. Will I always need a stent?
It depends on the situation, but your doctor may recommend one if you have swelling, discomfort, or other issues.
5. Can kidney stones reoccur after laser treatment?
Unfortunately, it is possible to form new kidney stones after having one removed, so be sure to take any measures your doctor recommends to prevent new stones from forming.
