Kidney stone question?

[BobMorr]

Anyone ever have a treatment to bombard a kidney stone? I have a 9mm stone that has now moved and has blocked the kidney. Doctor said it is not an emergency, the kidney just stopped functioning until it becomes open again. I will be scheduling this treatment when I call them tomorrow. Seen the Dr. today and the person scheduling needs the chart to be updated first. My right kidney is perfect he said and functioning normal. He said they will put me under, insert a stent between the kidney and bladder, then submerge me in a tub to bombard the stone. The stent stays in for 2 weeks. An xray is taken to see if all is clear and I'm put under for a short time to remove the stent. Need some good vibes if possible!

[LeftyFingerPop]

1. Good vibes to you Bob.

I have not had the bombardment, but I have had the stent for 3 weeks.

I have had unexplained bleeding from my kidneys....massive bleeding. They were certain that I had cancer that they could not find, so they ran cytologies on my urine frequently. What they finally determined was that it was not cancer, but rather stones that I was passing all the way through before they did the CT scan to test for them.

I had a huge blood clot right where the tube enters the kidney. They went up surgically and got that, then put the stent in until the bleeding stopped completely.

I'm assuming you never had a stent? I will tell you what to expect. A stent is only a big deal in the sense that it is something foreign in your body. If they ask you if you want to be put out for the stent surgery, say yes.

Some people tolerate the stent OK, and some people want to throttle their doctor after it is put in. I was kind of in the middle. If you get your mind prepared for it, you will probably tolerate it quite well. You may need pain pills, you may not, depending on your tolerance. I took them for the first few days, then stopped them.

Here's what to expect, and if someone had told be this beforehand, I would have been better prepared and the stent would almost have been a piece of cake. When you urinate, the pressure in your bladder will change, and the stent may actually move and press against the inside of your kidney. Sounds painful right? Well, if you are expecting it, it is not the most pleasant thing in the world, but it is certainly tolerable. I'm sorry to get so graphic, but I only wish someone had told me this before I had it done...I would have been much better prepared then. Two weeks in your case is a long time to have a stent...but if you are prepared, it will be OK. Best of luck to you!!

[BobMorr]

3. Thanks for the reply philboy

I passed a 4mm stone about 1 month ago. Passed another 4mm about 6 years ago. If passing a sone is a 10 what number would you put the pain from a stent. Not inserting or taking it out, since I will be under. The pain if any from having this thing inside you.

[LeftyFingerPop]

6. The pain of the stent is NOT EVEN CLOSE to the pain of...

passing a stone. No worries there Bob. In fact, you most likely won't even notice the stent, except when you urinate.

Everyone is different, so I don't want to paint with too broad of a brush...but in my experience...I was able to do physical work while the stent was in with no problem. My problem was that I knew it would be uncomfortable upon urination.

I had difficulty standing up to pee, because I would reflexively lean forward when I felt the stent in the kidney. So, I would just sit down and lean way forward, and that seemed to make it better.

Just tell yourself that the stent is there to help you, it will not hurt you physically, and it will be out in a few weeks. You will do fine Bob. If you have passed stones before, you can certainly handle this with no problem.

[REP]

8. Mileage May Vary

I had a stent after cystoscopy/upper ureteroscopy/YAG laser (basket procedure) to remove a stone in the lower pole of my left kidney. This a lot more invasive than the 'bath' and my stone (well, this one - I pass one about every 30-45 days) was much deeper in the kidney than what is normally seen during a 'basketing' ... so my stent experience was different (and perhaps unusual). I'll just say make sure to be discharged with painkillers.

[LeftyFingerPop]

9. Agreed and good point....

mileage may definitely vary.

It is always hard to discuss how a medical procedure may impact someone because there are so many variables. I guess all we can do in a forum such as this is to relate our own experiences, and hope that enough people in different circumstances respond so that the OP will have a reasonable idea of what to expect.

Always a good idea indeed to get painkillers after something like this. :hi:

[geardaddy]

2. Good vibes to you Bob

As a transplant recipient, I know what it's like to have kidney problems.

[BobMorr]

4. thanks

Hope everything is going fine after your transplant.

[geardaddy]

5. Yup!

It'll be 15 years on the 21st!

[CatholicEdHead]

7. I have had a stent before and 2 blastings

It is pretty minor as far as surgeries go. The first time was just the bombardment. It was blast away. You get there in the morning, go under, wake up mid-morning feeling like a horse hit you in the lower back. After the anastesia wears off, you are up and at it by the next day.

The stent goes in down below in that pre-existing hole, no cuts need to be made ;) It is on the inside, not outside of the ureter. It is a very quick recovery. The stent comes out when you blast the stones so it is a combined discomfort afterwards.

Things like this are pretty routine.