Did you know that urinary tract stones are one of the most common diseases in the whole Middle East region and in our country?

It usually manifests itself with severe pain. Kidney stones are formed approximately in 10% of males and 3% of females in a period of their lives.

How do the urinary tract stones form?

Kidney stones are usually formed due to precipitation of the minerals that we take into the body with food and beverages as small particles in the kidney. Normally, the formation of those stones are prevented through the protective substances of the body in the urine. However, in some cases this protective mechanism loses its effect. If the resulting particles are small, they are excreted from the urine without causing any symptoms. Larger stones may be trapped somewhere and cause obstruction in the kidney or urinary tract.

Who are at risk for kidney stone formation?

Kidney stone may be observed in kidney stone family history, with the use of high dose calcium and vitamin D, overweight, in patients with urinary tract infection, high blood pressure, metabolic diseases such as gout disease, inflammatory bowel diseases, thyroid and parathyroid diseases and some types of cancer, as well as with some foods and beverages consumed.

What is renal calculi?

Burning sensation may be felt during voiding in patients who pass a high volume of renal calculi. No association between passing kidney stone and sexual life was found.

Is passing renal calculi and stone formation seasonal?

It is known that passing renal calculi increases in the summer month. Increased fluid loss due to sweating in the summer month causes insufficient fluid intake leading to increased mineral density in urine. Therefore, the risk of stone formation is higher. When a comparison is made between day and night, the effect of sweating during the night when there is no fluid intake, stone formation is more likely to occur at night than in the daytime.

For which stone size is surgery required?

It is known that the stones 5 mm or less in size do not require any process since they pass spontaneously. However, based on the extensive studies and disease management guidelines, it is suggested that recently detected stones below 10 mm in size will also pass spontaneously. Stones over 10 mm in size should be treated with surgery or non-surgical treatment (lithotripsy). More important than stone size in stone disease is the severity of the complaints that the patient has experienced and the degree of damage to the kidney and urinary tract.

What comes to mind when it is said surgery?

When the surgery is said, open surgery occurs to people’s mind immediately. However, most of the kindey stone operations in today’s technology are performed endoscopically without an incision is made on the body which is called “minimally invasive”. In this way, patients may rapidly recover and return to daily life.

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WVU- Heart and Vascular Instıtute Department of Thoracic Surgery