Eliminating the Kidney Stone

Unless the kidney stone is larger than 1/4 inch (or 5mm) in diameter it will most likely pass without medical intervention ... except for the administration of pain killers to allow the sufferer to endure through the episode which may last for several days. Those between 1/4 inch and 1/2 inch in diameter are less likely to pass on their own as they get larger.

If the kidney stone is larger than 1/2 inch (or 10mm) in diameter it will likely need to be either removed by surgery or by lithrotripsy. Stones have been known to become as large as the size of golf balls. It is not necessary to remove a stone unless it causes other problems. Large stones usually remain in the kidney without symptoms, although they may damage the kidney.

A complete diagnosis of kidney stones should include blood screens, 24 hour urine samples, provocative calcium loading tests, and stone analysis to determine the type of stone, its underlying cause, proper treatment for that particular type and location of stone, and future stone prevention.