What Size of Kidney Stone Requires Surgery?
Kidney stones result from conglomerations of crystals that form when minerals in the urine increase. The treatment of kidney stones varies depending upon different factors, like kidney stone size and location. Using the latest technologies, like X-ray, renal ultrasound, and CT scan, the doctors easily personalize the treatment by determining the stones' location, size, and severity of urine flow obstruction.
However, out of all the factors, size is the most important factor determining the treatment course. Many stones can be treated using conservative management pain control medications, hydration, and medical expulsive therapy. But, if the stones are larger, they won't pass out without the help of surgery. With the advancements in medical science, minimally invasive surgery for kidney stone removal procedures makes it easy to remove the stones with reduced chances of complications and issues.
What are Kidney Stones?
Medically defining kidney stones are solid deposits of minerals due to the accumulation of minerals, salts, and other substances found in urine. The size of kidney stones can vary in size and composition, ranging from tiny particles resembling grains of sand to larger solid masses. The formation of kidney stones can be associated with different factors, like dehydration, dietary choices, genetic predisposition, certain medical conditions, and medications, like diabetes, obesity, gout, primary hyperparathyroidism, and any chronic diarrhea state.
Understanding the Size of Kidney Stones
Determining the size of a kidney stone accurately is crucial to choosing the right course of therapy. Physicians can measure and characterize a stone's size in a few different ways.
The millimeter (mm) is the most widely used and accepted unit of measurement. Kidney stones less than 5 mm can be easily removed from the body, but those larger than 10 mm seldom do so. Rather than being given a specific size, stones can be defined as being "less than" or "greater than" specific size cutoffs.
Doctors may use relative phrases such as "small," "moderate," or "large" to describe the size of the kidney stone instead of giving a precise measurement in certain situations, mainly if the stone is difficult to see on imaging. Patients can still use this to get a general sense of whether they could benefit from active treatment.
Imaging procedures such as kidney ultrasounds, CT scans, or X-rays of the kidneys, ureters, and bladder (KUB) are used by clinicians to quantify a stone. Using the built-in measuring tools in these photographs, they can measure the longest diameter of the stone in millimeters. It is possible to record two or more dimensions for irregularly shaped stones.
Surgeries for Different Types of Kidney Stones
The course of treatment for kidney stones is determined by several variables, such as the kind of kidney stone, its size, location, and the symptoms it produces. The following are some typical surgical techniques for treating various kinds of kidney stones:
Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL)
In this procedure, high-energy shock waves break down the kidney stones into smaller pieces, facilitating their passage through the urinary canal. It is recommended that small to medium-sized stones (often less than 2 cm) in the kidney or upper ureter are frequently treated using ESWL.