Kidney stones are a common condition that can lead to significant pain and even life-threatening infections when they grow too large to pass easily through your urinary tract system.
At Preva Surgicare — Surgery Center of The Woodlands, we’re committed to providing the highest quality care for all our patients, including those experiencing problems with kidney stones. Our team of experts takes great pride in offering rapid and effective treatment for kidney stones.
We’re conveniently located off Interstate 45 and provide same-day diagnostic testing and imaging at our facility, allowing us to accurately locate and size your stones. And here at Preva, you won’t have to wait weeks for a treatment solution. In most cases, our state-of-the-art facilities and medical expertise allow us to diagnose and deliver treatment on the same day as your initial appointment.
Even though it’s not for everyone, the treatment we most recommend is extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) because it’s easiest on our patients and leaves you with minimal pain after the procedure. Read more about kidney stones and why we consider it imperative to respond quickly to this painful condition.
Kidney stones take shape in your kidneys and are formed from naturally occurring minerals and salts in your urine that sometimes clump together and form stones. Smaller stones may cause only mild discomfort as they pass through the tiny tubes (ureters and urethra) that carry urine from your kidneys to your bladder and out of your body.
But they become a painful problem when the stones grow too large to pass comfortably through your urinary system. Larger stones can become lodged at some point along the way and obstruct urine flow, which can significantly impair kidney function and/or cause serious infections.
Many treatments exist for kidney stones. The most effective treatment depends on the size and location of the stones. At Preva Surgicare, we’re also intent on providing minimally invasive therapy that quickly relieves your pain and allows for the quickest recovery afterward.
Smaller stones may respond well to increased water intake that helps your kidneys flush the stones from your body. We may also prescribe medication such as Flomax, which relaxes the muscles of your ureter, helping you pass the stone faster with less pain.
As we stated above, one of the most common treatments we recommend for larger kidney stones is ESWL. This minimally invasive and highly effective procedure utilizes sound waves to break stones into pieces small enough to pass through your urinary system.
Typically recommended for stones that are 2 cm or less, ESWL is a noninvasive outpatient procedure that takes about 60 minutes to complete.
While under sedation and/or local or general anesthesia, you lie on a surgical table as we target extracorporeal (outside the body) sound waves at the area where the stone is located. The pressure from the waves breaks up the stone. Most patients leave our facility for home about 60 minutes after the ESWL procedure.
You can expect to experience mild discomfort for a couple of days as the stone fragments pass through your urinary system, but this is typically much less intense than the pain associated with untreated kidney stones.
For rapid, same-day diagnosis and treatment that relieves your pain and decreases the health risks associated with kidney stones, call us at Preva Surgicare today or use our online booking tool. We welcome walk-ins and offer same-day appointments.
