What are kidney stones?
Kidney stones are hard, pebble-like deposits that form inside the kidneys. They develop when there’s an imbalance in the levels of certain substances in urine, such as calcium, oxalate, and uric acid. These substances can crystallize and clump together, gradually increasing in size over time.
How common are kidney stones?
Kidney stones are prevalent, affecting more than 10% of adults in the United States during their lifetime. Anyone can be affected by kidney stones, although they tend to be more common in men between the ages of 40 and 60.
Are all kidney stones the same?
No, there are several types of kidney stones, each with different compositions, causes, and characteristics. They are:
Calcium stones
Calcium stones are the most common type, accounting for the majority of cases.
Calcium oxalate
These stones form when calcium combines with oxalate in the urine. They’re associated with diets high in oxalate-rich foods, such as beets, black tea, chocolate, nuts, potatoes, and spinach.
Calcium phosphate
These stones are less common than calcium oxalate stones and are often caused by abnormalities in urinary system function. They can also occur simultaneously with calcium oxalate stones.
Uric acid stones
Uric acid stones form when there’s too much uric acid in the urine, a condition known as hypercalciuria. These stones are more common in men. They tend to develop when the urine becomes too acidic, the patient consumes a diet high in animal protein, has certain medical conditions such as gout or Crohn’s disease, or does not drink enough water and/or consumes excessive amounts of alcohol.
Struvite stones
Struvite stones, sometimes called infection stones, are built from magnesium, ammonium, phosphate, and calcium carbonate. They usually form because urinary tract infections produce ammonia, which raises urine pH.
Struvite stones tend to grow quickly. If left untreated, they can cause serious complications, including chronic infection and kidney damage.
What are the symptoms of kidney stones?
There are usually no symptoms if a small kidney stone is sitting inside your kidney. However, if the kidney stone enters the ureter and starts to pass, patients typically present to the emergency room with one or more of these symptoms:
- Severe pain in the side, back, or lower abdomen
- Pain or burning sensation while urinating
- Frequent urge to urinate
- Blood in the urine
- Nausea and vomiting
What are the common risk factors for kidney stones?
Historically, men have a significantly higher rate of kidney stones than women, although newer data suggest that the gender gap is no longer as significant.
There are numerous risk factors for kidney stones. In the United States, the prevalence of kidney stones increases from North to South and East to West. Common causes of kidney stones include:
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Not drinking enough fluids
- Eating a diet high in salt, sugar, and animal protein
- Certain medical conditions, like gout, a history of certain surgeries, and some genetic conditions
How do doctors diagnose kidney stones?
Kidney stones are typically diagnosed with a CT scan, rather than an X-ray or MRI.
How do we treat kidney stones?
Tower Urology features fellowship-trained experts in endourology, specializing in the management of conditions such as kidney stones.
The best treatment option for each patient depends on various factors, including the size and location of the kidney stone. However, the general treatments for kidney stones are to either allow the kidney stone to pass (if symptoms can be managed) or break it up.
Tower Urology offers all common and advanced kidney stone treatments, including:
- Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL) involves directing high-energy shock waves at a kidney stone to break it up.
- Laser Lithotripsy involves using a laser to break stones into very small pieces, resulting in smaller stones. The stones can then be removed simultaneously or passed out of the body through urine.
- Ureteroscopy involves the use of a device called a ureteroscope. This device allows your doctor to see inside your ureter and remove stones near your bladder. A stone can be removed with a small basket or fragmented with a laser or sound waves.
- Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PCNL): a laparoscopic minimally invasive surgery that removes kidney stones without any cuts or incisions. It is often used for large kidney stones or those with irregular shapes.
Tower Urology offers the most experienced care for kidney stones in Los Angeles
At Tower Urology, we take a personalized, evidence-based approach to general urology care. All our professionals at Tower Urology are committed to giving you expert care, including follow-up. We take the time to understand you to personalize your treatment plan to your specific needs.
We invite you to establish care with Tower Urology.
Tower Urology is conveniently located for patients throughout Southern California and the Los Angeles area, including Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, West Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Culver City, Hollywood, Venice, Marina del Rey, Burbank, Glendale, and Downtown Los Angeles.
Our services include treatment for incontinence/overactive bladder (OAB), hematuria, urinary tract infections, nocturia, and urinary bladder dysfunction.
Kidney Stone FAQs
If you’re dealing with kidney stones, the type of doctor you typically see is a urologist. Urologists are kidney stone specialists, treating all urinary tract diseases (kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra) and the reproductive system.
They’re the healthcare professionals who diagnose, manage, and treat kidney stones.
Patients with recurrent or chronic kidney stones may benefit from seeing a urologist experienced in both treating active stones and identifying the underlying causes contributing to stone formation. When choosing a specialist, patients may want to consider factors such as access to advanced imaging technology, minimally invasive treatment options, metabolic stone evaluation, and long-term prevention strategies.
At Tower Urology, patients have access to experienced urologists who provide comprehensive kidney stone care, including diagnostic evaluation, minimally invasive stone treatment, and personalized prevention plans designed to help reduce the risk of future stones.
We always tell our patients that the best way to manage their kidney stones is to do whatever it takes to prevent them from forming. Treating kidney stones is not hard, but making the necessary changes, such as dietary and lifestyle changes, to prevent future stone formation is not always easy.
However, the best approach is to work with your urologist to devise a treatment plan to prevent them.
Yes, kidney stones can increase the risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD). People with kidney stones have nearly twice the risk of developing CKD compared to those without kidney stones. This relationship has been confirmed in long-term studies showing that kidney stone formers have a 51% to 68% increased risk for CKD by diagnostic codes and a 25% to 44% increased risk by elevated serum creatinine levels.
Managing chronic or recurrent kidney stones often involves more than simply treating active stones. Long-term management may include identifying underlying causes, evaluating diet and hydration habits, performing metabolic testing, and developing personalized prevention strategies to reduce the risk of future stone formation.
Depending on the size, location, and frequency of stones, treatment may include increased hydration, dietary modifications, medications, or minimally invasive procedures to remove stones when necessary. At Tower Urology, patients receive comprehensive kidney stone care focused on both effective treatment and long-term prevention.
