Urinary stones - endoscopic treatment

What is urinary stone disease

Urinary stone disease is the formation of deposits (stones) in the urinary tract - most often in the kidneys, from where stones can travel into the ureter, block the outflow of urine and cause very severe pain known as renal colic.

The disease can also develop without symptoms. Left untreated, it leads to worsening complaints, kidney damage and severe, life-threatening infections (urosepsis).

Diagnosis

The basis is periodic preventive testing: blood and urine analysis and an ultrasound of the urinary tract. When stones are suspected, a precise diagnosis is in most cases made with a CT scan.

When to observe, when to operate

Small stones (below 1 cm) that cause no symptoms usually only need observation. When a stone starts to move and causes symptoms, pharmacological treatment is used to ease its passage and relieve pain.

For larger stones the treatment of choice is endoscopic surgery - performed through the urethra or through a small skin incision.

Techniques I perform

• RIRS (retrograde intrarenal surgery) - a flexible endoscope introduced through the urethra all the way to the kidney; the primary tool of minimally invasive kidney stone treatment.
• URS/URSL - endoscopy of the ureter with laser fragmentation of the stones found there.
• PCNL / miniPCNL - access to the kidney through a skin incision of about 1–2 cm; allows removal of large stones filling the interior of the kidney.
• ECIRS - a combination of the above methods in a single operation; used for very extensive stone disease. ECIRS is performed by two urologists at the same time - one working through the urethra with a flexible ureterorenoscope, the other through a small skin puncture.

I use modern laser generators for stone fragmentation. The procedures are performed under general anaesthesia.

Recovery

Patients are usually discharged home the day after surgery and regain full fitness within a few days. Detailed recommendations are given individually.

A double-J (DJ) ureteric stent is usually placed after the procedure. It is removed within a week by pulling the thread that protrudes from the urethra.

Kidney stone treatment price in Kraków

I qualify patients at my own practice and operate at Szpital na Klinach hospital. The price of the procedure follows the hospital's price list and depends on the size and position of the stone and on the technique used - you will get the cost directly from the hospital, and I discuss the scope of the procedure during the qualification consultation.

• Urology consultation - PLN 350, ultrasound included in the visit when needed
• RIRS, URSL and PCNL - performed at Szpital na Klinach, priced according to the hospital's price list
• Payment by cash, card, BLIK or bank transfer · invoice on request
• Private visits, not covered by the Polish NFZ

The full list is on the pricing page.

Where I treat urinary stones in Kraków

The qualification consultation takes place at my office: Andromeda Centrum Medyczne, ul. Mogilska 69A, 31-545 Kraków, Poland. The procedure itself - under general anaesthesia - is performed at Szpital na Klinach, a hospital in Kraków.