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Surgeries not needed to treat kidney stones, health experts

Doctors said patients could treat stones in kidney, bladder and ureter but could get them treated by directing shockwaves to the target area.

Sharjah - Around 3,500 mild shockwaves in 45 minutes can break kidney stones into sizeable fragments that are then removed through the body in a natural way, said a doctor while explaining technological advancement in the field.

Doctors said on Wednesday that patients no longer required surgical interference to treat stones in kidney, bladder and ureter but could get them treated by directing shockwaves to the target area.

“The lithotripsy unit is supported by many other departments in the hospital, particularly the laboratory, radiology, and internal medicine,” explains Professor Rajaie Mahran, Consultant Urologist, University Hospital in Sharjah that recently launched the unit to treat kidney, bladder and ureter stones without surgical interference.

Shockwave lithotripsy is currently undertaken through usage of state-of-the-art medical equipment that has been developed in France. The equipment is used without anaesthesia or operation room-related treatment. Depending on the size of the stone, the 45-minute session directs around 3,500 shock waves in the locality of the stone to fragment it.

“The only restrictions to patients are that they are required to not drink water or eat for several hours before the procedure and must also not take any drugs that could interfere with the blood clotting mechanism in the days directly leading up to procedure. Treatment takes less than an hour, enabling the patient to go home the same day,” says the doctor.

“Kidney, urinary tract, bladder, or ureter stones are treated in several ways including fragmentation and lithotripsy that direct shock waves to the area of the stone from outside the body through Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy Skin (ESWL). Kidney stones are removed from the body because they may cause microbial infections, bleeding, and/or blockage of kidney course or parts of the urinary tract,” adds Dr Mahran.

The hospital has already treated two medical cases in the new unit who needed stone fragmentation.

The Urology Department in Sharjah University Hospital had earlier recorded many medical successes including a rare surgery on a 95-year-old patient, whose prostate was removed surgically with the usage of the tissue vaporisation technique, leaving the patient in good health and allowing him to leave hospital in less than 24 hours. A similar technique was used with patients of different age groups who were also discharged from hospital on the same day.

asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com