Kidneys are bean-shaped organ located each side of our spine and just below the ribcage area. The primary function of our kidneys is to filter waste product from our blood and dispatch it out of the body through urine. Inversely when the waste products do not dissolve thoroughly from the urine, it instigates the reason to form crystals and kidney stone.

The urine oozes by the kidneys are transported to the bladder for storage through a long and narrow tube called ureter connecting the kidney to the bladder. Most of the stones are formed in the kidneys due to the imbalance transpire in various chemical substances present in the urine such as calcium, oxalate, uric acid, citric acid. Such stones in kidney or ureter can obstruct the flow of urine and instigate excruciating pain. In the presence of any impediment in kidney or infection (high fever), patient must not procrastinate in seeking medical consultation.

Sign and symptoms of Kidney stone

Quite often, in several cases the symptoms of kidney stone are not detected initially. It is only when the stones travel deep into the constricted space of the ureter, acute pain erupts. Pain in kidney thrives under the condition when stone becomes large enough to hamper the flow of the urine. Symptoms may comprise as:

• Burning sensation during urination

• Bloody urine

• Nausea and vomiting

• Urination with increased frequency

• Pain while urinating

• Renal colic – pain evolves in the back below the ribs or lower abdomen which also travels to the groin. The purgatory pain extends for few minutes or hours with short periods of relief.

Treatment to remove kidney stones

Extracorporeal Shockwaves Lithotripsy (ESWL): This process involves X-rays which high-energy radiation or ultrasound (high frequency sound waves) to locate the kidney stone. The machine reinforces the shock waves energy through the skin which breaks the stones into smaller pieces. These tiny particles of stones are then eliminated by the kidney through the urine.

Ureterorenoscopy: Under this process a long thin telescope known as ureteroscope is passed through urethra (a tube through which urine passes out of our body) into the bladder. It is then further pushed up into the ureter where stones are located. Then the stones are fragmented using a Holmium laser. With the efficiency of Holmium laser the stones are break down into the powder, thus it helps to pass out the fragments naturally with urine. A plastic tube called stent is placed inside you temporarily to allow the stone fragments to drain into the bladder.

Results are evident that Holmium laser is an excellent and medically safe device to perform intracorporeal lithotripsy. It has an ability to fragment stones of all types of composition. The Holmium laser shows great efficacy in complex clinical presentation and represent a cost effective method for urology and kidney stone treatment.