please help- my mother in law is suffering from kidney stones- we've taken her to several doctor's and hospitals- they have all told her she needs to have the stones removed and are willing to set up the procedure- until we mention she is on medicaid- they story automatically changes and she is told to drink plenty of fuids to fush hem out- do you know of any provider in NY who is willing to accept medicaid and can assist us. She has been drinking lots of water and nothing seems to help- I can't stand seeing her suffer any longer- the sad reality is that it seems the poor have no medical recourse.
thank you for your prompt reply
-lucy sanchez
Dear Lucy,
Kidney stones are often without symptoms until they pass into the ureter tubes on the way to the bladder. While they are in the ureter they can cause obstruction of the flow of urine, and the resulting increased pressure in the kidney can be felt as pain. In general stones do not have to be treated unless they cause pain that does not respond to narcotics, causes nausea and vomiting so that oral intake of fluids is affected, are associated with a urinary tract infection, or the overall kidney function is markedly compromised. Intervention may include lithotrypsy (breaking up the stones into smaller fragments), passing a stent (tube between kidney and bladder to bypass the blockage), or ureteroscopy (passing a telescope into the ureter to visualize the stone and then removing it).
If your family member has one of the indications for intervention listed above, then you should insist on it. However, if no such indication exists kidney stones may be passed spontaneously, with or without moderate pain, safely over a period of days or weeks.
More individualized care is available at the Henry Ford Hospital and its satellites (1 800 653 6568). We can also arrange local accommodations through this number if this is
your need. Please bring any physicians’ notes and lab test results that
you may be able to obtain. These will help us greatly.
This information is provided for general medical education purposes only. Please consult your physician for diagnostic and treatment options pertaining to your specific medical condition.
Sincerely;
HFHS M.D.-CK
* Keyword: Kidney stones
