How does ultrasonic removal of kidney stones work?

Ultrasonic excision of kidney stones is one of the most popular methods of eliminating gallstones and other formations in the internal organs.

The formation of kidney stones is quite common. The painful manifestations of their presence can develop regardless of the age of the person - both in young children and in people in old age.

Symptoms of the pathology of

The main signs of the presence of kidney stones are:

• Pain of the character in the back area - sometimes it radiates into the inguinal zone, supplemented with nausea and vomiting.
• The presence of blood in the urine - this happens because of trauma to the mucous surface of the ureter, urethra, bladder because of the movement of stones.
• Burning sensation during urination.
• Chills and fever, which usually accompany the process of exit of the stone.

Confirmation of the presence of kidney stones occurs by ultrasound examination of the kidneys. Together with ultrasound of the kidneys, an ultrasound for the bladder is organized to correctly identify the possibilities of kidney function. Also, ultrasound for the bladder with Doppler helps to identify abnormalities of the ureters.

The main reason for the formation of stones is a violation of the qualitative composition of urine, which is constantly formed in the tissues of the kidneys. Often, the cause of the disease is the consumption of drinking water with a large number of harmful impurities, as well as excessive consumption of food products that provoke the formation of stones.

Crushing process

Stone crushing by ultrasound or kidney lithotripsy is an actively used method, which is now recognized as the main method for removing stones. Such a method can be used provided the size of the stones is from one and half to two centimeters.

The basic principle of this method is the following: due to the ultrasonic device, which is guided to the approximate zone of the stone location, the precise location of the lesion is revealed. Subsequently, a small incision into the kidney is injected with a nephroscope. Simultaneously, the stone is crushed and then its fragments are removed.

This operation is considered closed, except for coral stones. After the completion of the operation, the patient is still under special care for a certain time. Ultrasound can be performed only in hospital, and the patient is discharged after three to four days of treatment.

Types of ultrasonic crushing

Extracorporeal lithotripsy

It is performed under the condition. That the diameter of the stone is from 5 to 25 mm. The process itself is due to the impact of the shock wave on the stone, which is subsequently fixed at a particular point in the stone. Where and reaches the maximum indicators.

As a result of the described manipulations, a deformation begins in the stone, which is several times stronger than its strength. On the stone affect not one, but several shock waves, the number of which depends on the composition of the stone. A lot of shock waves, focused on one stone, destroys it into small particles.

The average procedure takes about 40 minutes and is carried out in a day hospital, when a person can go home on that day or the next day.

Two weeks later, a control X-ray study is required, which allows to answer the question of whether the stone was completely eliminated during the operation. It is not desirable to organize such effects on the body of pregnant women, in a situation where the patient's height exceeds 2 meters or does not reach 1.2 m, or at a body weight of more than 136 kg.

Ultrasound crushing of stones in an extracorporeal way is prohibited for the following people:

• suffering from cardiovascular pathologies;
• suffering from high rates of blood clotting;
• suffering from the presence of stones in the bone pelvis.

Before applying this technique, a specialist organizes echoscopy of the kidneys and urinary canals. In addition, an overview radiographic examination of the kidneys is performed, blood and urine tests are performed, a biochemical blood test is performed, taking into account the coagulation parameters.

Contact Lithotripsy

This is the process of destroying kidney stones with a variety of tools, when the tool is directly contacted with the stone.

This method is based on the destruction of the stone by means of ultrasound with the subsequent removal of stones from the urinary canals, using a ureteroscope or without incisions through the urethra. Usually, after such an intervention, the ureteral stent is placed in the kidney, which is removed after three to seven days.

This method is organized under spinal or general anesthesia and is characterized by the following advantages:

• high degree of effectiveness, reaching 75-100%;
• low degree of injury;
• possibility of simultaneous elimination of several stones in one session.

Remote shock wave lithotripsy

The basic principle of this technique is the focusing of acoustic waves on a stone. Waves penetrate the liquid medium of the body to the desired point and do not damage the tissues on their way.

Having reached their goal, the waves produce a therapeutic or surgical effect, depending on the power, which is chosen when taking into account the nature of the disease. In conclusion, the stone is crushed without direct contact, and the residues are then removed from the kidney and from the body as a whole along with the urine