When should the patient undergo ureteroscopic kidney stone treatment?

What is a ureteroscopy?

Ureteroscopy is a treatment option for kidney stones involving a ureterescope (ureterscope) through the urethra and bladder. Then, the long, thin tube-shaped instrument will go up and up the ureter, to the location of the kidney stone.

Ureteroscopy is usually used in patients with kidney stones that are less than 1.5 cm in size and last for one to three hours.

When should the patient undergo ureteroscopic kidney stone treatment?

The choice of kidney stone treatment is actually quite a lot, such as the consumption of kidney stone crusher drugs. In addition, the doctor will help the patient choose which treatment is most effective, based on the size and symptoms of the kidney stone.

Ureteroscopy is a popular treatment option for kidney stone patients.

This procedure is performed when a kidney stone is in the ureter and the patient experiences symptoms in the form of blood in the urine. However, before a ureteroscopy is recommended by a doctor, you will undergo tests first, such as:

urine tests to diagnose infections,
CT scan to find out the shape, size, and location of the stool stones, as well
MRI to provide a more detailed picture of the kidneys and bladder.

Can everyone have a ureteroscopy?

Although including the treatment of kidney stones that are classified as safe, there are some people who are not recommended to undergo ureteroscopy as follows.

Patients with large kidney stones that can increase the risk of stone fragments being left behind.
Patients with a history of urinary tract obstruction due to the ureterscope may not enter the urinary tract.

Therefore, always ask your doctor about how to treat kidney disease on this one according to your condition.

Things that need to be prepared

In most cases, patients do not need to make special preparations before undergoing a ureteroscopy. However, your doctor will ask you to drink lots of fluids and urinate before starting kidney stone treatment.

The patient may also need to provide urine test results for urinary tract infections (UTIs). If you have a UTI, the urologist will treat the urinary disease with antibiotics before the ureteroscopy is started.

Then, the doctor will also provide instructions regarding things that need to be considered before the action, namely:

the time you have to stop taking certain medications, such as blood thinners,
time to stop eating and drinking,
time to empty the bladder, and
how to arrange a return trip after ureteroscopy.

How is the ureteruscopy procedure performed?

URS is performed using a ureteroscope, which is a long, thin tube equipped with a lens at the end. In general, there are two ways to perform a ureteroscopy, namely:

If the rock is small, the ureteroscope is equipped with a basket to collect the rock and carry it out of the ureter.
If the rock is large enough, the ureteroscope will be equipped with a laser beam, which is a holmium laser that can break down the stone so that it is easier to remove from the ureter.

Initially the patient will be given an anesthetic to temporarily numb the nerve so that it does not cause pain. Then, the urologist will insert the ureteroscope through the urethral urethra into the ureter. After the device reaches the bladder, the doctor will sterilize it through the end of the ureteroscope and reach the ureter area.

This process usually takes up to 30 minutes. Then it takes longer to remove or break a kidney stone, which is about 90 minutes.

After the kidney stone is removed or resolved, the ureteroscope is removed and the fluid in the bladder is emptied. You will recover after the anesthetic wears off within 1-4 hours. In certain conditions, stent (the small tube that runs from the kidney to the bladder) will stay in place.

Two hours after regaining consciousness, the doctor will ask you to drink 0.5 liters of water in one hour. After that, you will feel pain when urinating. In the next 24 hours, the urine you pass will be accompanied by blood. To reduce this condition, painkillers will be given.

Antibiotics will be given if infection occurs. Usually this condition is characterized by fever, chills and pain that does not go away.

What happens after the action is complete?

After successful ureteroscopic surgery, you may experience the following as side effects, namely:

a mild burning sensation when urinating,
noticing a small amount of blood in the urine,
slight pain in the bladder or kidney area when urinating, and
unable to hold urine and more often to the bathroom.

The side effects of this one kidney stone treatment usually don't last more than 24 hours. If you experience bleeding or pain that gets worse and lasts more than a day, call your doctor immediately.

After the ureteroscopy procedure is complete, you are usually allowed to go home. However, the doctor will recommend you to do the following things.

Drink about 500 ml of water every hour for two hours after surgery.
Take a warm bath to relieve the burning sensation.
Put a warm, damp cloth over the urethra to relieve pain.
Take over-the-counter pain relievers, such as ibuprofen.

Risks from the ureteroscopy procedure

No treatment is free from risks and complications, including when removing kidney stones. Ureteroscopy is actually quite safe. There are several conditions that may be caused by ureteroscopy, although the risk is small, namely:

urinary tract infection,
bleeding,
stomach pain,
a burning sensation or pain when urinating,
injury to the urethra, bladder, or ureter,
the urethra is narrowed due to the formation of scar tissue,
difficulty urinating due to swelling of the surrounding tissue, and
complications from anesthesia.

During the recovery process from ureteroscopy, you should also take measures to prevent kidney stones. Drinking water and paying attention to your diet is important because kidney stones can form again.