Kidney stones are formed when substances in urine crystallize and build on one another. They cause significant pain. Unfortunately, North Carolina is located in the so-called "stone belt," a region that experiences higher than normal incidences of kidney stones.
At Mission, there are several different options for patients with kidney stones; most of them offer quick recovery times, require minimal anesthesia, and are outpatient procedures.
Kidney Stone Center services include:
- Lithotripsy - a minimally invasive procedure that uses shock waves to break up stones. Our new lithotripter is available seven days a week.
- Lasertripsy - in this procedure, a laser attached to a cystoscope is threaded through the ureter. Once properly positioned, the laser is used to pulverize the stone.
- Electrohydraulic lithotripsy (EHL) - urologists use a special probe to break up small stones with shock waves generated by electricity in this procedure. The shock waves are electrically generated through an irrigating fluid at the stone until it is pulverized. The pieces can then be passed by the patient or removed using other extraction methods.
- Basket extraction - for smaller stones in the mid- and lower sections of the ureter, a flexible, fiberoptic instrument is inserted through the urethra and bladder to the stone. Once the stone is located visually, urologists remove it with a small basket-like device inserted through the fiberoptic instrument. This procedure is typically done on an outpatient basis.
Two state-of-the-art cystoscopy suites are dedicated full-time to our urology patients. These surgical suites include modern equipment and the latest technology.
