Showing posts with label kidney stones. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kidney stones. Show all posts

Monday, April 9, 2012

Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy

Author: Dr Aaron Berger (Chicago) 2008-06-10 2mn22


Kidney stones

Authors: Drs Marshall Stoller (university of California SF) and Aaron Berger (Chicago) 2009-03-06

Introduction

Kidney stones or calculi are solid collections of urinary components that have formed crystals, precipitated out of the urine and formed into stones.  The medical term for the presence of kidney stones is nephrolithiasis.  Most often, stones are calcium based but there are many other types of stones that may form.  The five most common stone types are calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate, uric acid, struvite, and cystine.  Pain from stones can develop when the stones obstruct any part of the urinary system.  This article will discuss the different types of stones, risk factors for forming stones, and the treatment and prevention of calculi.