Kidney Stone Treatment in Dallas TX

Over 25 Years of Experience Providing Expert Care for Patients with Kidney Stones

Kidney stones send over 500,000 people in the United States to the emergency room annually. If you don’t get help for kidney stones, they can eventually cause excruciating pain, along with severe urinary problems like urinary blockage. Experienced urologist and kidney stones specialist Mitch Moskowitz, MD, offers relief from stones using advanced minimally invasive procedures to help you recover fast. Schedule an appointment in Dallas or Plano today!

What are Kidney Stones?

When high levels of minerals and salt exist in the kidneys, they can form a clump of matter known as a kidney stone. These stones may stay inside of the kidney, where they will not cause any further harm.

The real problem begins when these kidney stones enter the ureter and block urine from traveling through the ureter to the bladder. This blockage caused by the kidney stone becomes very painful, and can require surgery if they do not pass on their own.

What are the Symptoms of Kidney Stones?

Other than pain, patients with kidney stones often experience other symptoms such as:

• Persistent need to urinate
• Cloudy or discolored urine, usually pink, red, or brown in color
• Foul-smelling urine
• Frequent urination
• Fever or chills, typically occurs when there is an infection present
• Pain radiating from the lower abdomen and groin, or in the back below the ribs
• Nausea and vomiting
• Painful urination

How are Kidney Stones Diagnosed?

In order for your Dr. Moskowitz to determine whether or not you have a kidney stone, you may have diagnostic tests and procedures, such as:

• Blood testing- Blood test results help monitor the health of your kidneys and may lead your doctor to check for other medical conditions such as too much calcium or uric acid in your blood.
• Urine testing- To determine whether you’re excreting too many stone-forming minerals or too few stone-preventing substances, your doctor may request that you perform two urine collections over two consecutive days.
• Imaging- Imaging tests show doctors where kidney stones are currently inside your urinary tract. Dr. Moskowitz may also use high-speed or dual energy computerized tomography (CT) to reveal even tiny stones.
• Ultrasound- a noninvasive test that is quick and simply to perform in the comfort of Dr. Moskowitz’s office.
• Analysis of passed stones- This test requires you to urinate through a strainer to catch any kidney stones that you pass. Later on, lab analysis will reveal the makeup of your kidney stones. After the analysis is complete, your doctor uses this information to determine the cause of your kidney stones to prevent it from happening again.

What are the Different Types of Kidney Stones?

Not all kidney stones are the same. The exact type of kidney stone will determine the course of action used to treat the patient’s kidney stones. These types of kidney stones include:

• Calcium stones (most common)
• Uric acid stones
• Struvite stones
• Cystine stones

How are Kidney Stones Treated?

As previously mentioned, the method of treatment will depend on the particular type of kidney stone that has developed, but many of these stones are treated in similar ways. Dr. Moskowitz designs a treatment strategy according to the symptoms you’re having, the perceived size of the stone, and its location.

For smaller stones, which are more often, Dr. Moskowitz may prescribe drinking large quantities of water to flush the stone. He may prescribe medication to relieve your pain and a drug to relax the muscles surrounding your ureter to make it easier for the stone to pass which can take about four to six weeks. This duration may seem like a long amount of time, but it is safe to continue trying to pass a kidney stone on your own so long as the pain is manageable and there are no present signs of an infection. If you suspect that there may be an infection spreading within your kidney or ureter, you should seek medical attention immediately.

Some medications have been shown to help increase the body’s ability to pass kidney stones. Such medications work by relaxing the ureter, which provides the kidney stone with ample room to make its way to the bladder, where it will finally exit the body through urination. Prescription strength painkillers may also be necessary depending on each individual case.

If the pain becomes too great, or if the ureter becomes completely blocked and begins to affect kidney function, surgery may be necessary. Modern technology allows for this surgery to be minimally invasive with minor recovery time. At our Plano Office, Dr. Moskowitz uses minimally invasive procedures to relieve your kidney stone symptoms. Options can include:

• Ureteroscopy (URS)
• Shock Wave Lithotripsy (SWL)
• Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL)