Kidney Stones

Kidney stones, or nephrolithiasis, are one of the most common - and painful - urinary tract disorders. While they typically do not cause any permanent damage, they can affect any area of the urinary tract, from your kidneys to your bladder. Most people pass kidney stones on their own; however, sometimes, medical intervention is needed.

Symptoms

As a kidney stone moves through the urinary tract to exit your body, you may experience some of the following kidney stone symptoms:

• Blood in your urine
• Frequent and painful urination
• Nausea and vomiting
• Pain in your back, side, stomach, groin or genitals
• Sudden, severe pain that comes in waves

Lithotripsy

North Kansas City Hospital offers lithotripsy, a safe and nonsurgical procedure for treating kidney stones. Lithotripsy uses sound waves to create vibrations that break the stones into pieces the size of sand that can be passed in your urine. Stone fragments usually pass within a few weeks. Depending on the size of the stone, you may need only one treatment. The larger the stone, the more likely it is that you will need more than one treatment.

We partner with Mid America Kidney Stone Association. MAKSA staff performs lithotripsy on our campus every other Monday.

What to Expect

• When you arrive for your procedure, check in on the 2nd Floor Main Hospital.
• We’ll take an X-ray to pinpoint the exact location of the stone.
• Right before the procedure, a nurse will give you a sedative to make you comfortable during the one-hour procedure.
• Afterward, we’ll monitor you for about two hours.

For more information on lithotripsy at North Kansas City Hospital, call 816.691.1366