Calcium Deposit on Bladder Wall after Surgery

[yenoor]

I am a white male, 47 years, never-smoked, upper middle-class, 5'-10", 145 lbs and active.

I had a small tumor removed from my bladder in 2003.  Since the surgery, the scar tissue collects calcium deposits and were removed in 2005 and again last month 4/2008.  I have a history of kidney stones since I was 30, so I know that my urine is high in calcium.  I drink plenty of water and have adjusted my diet away from red meets, carbonated drinks, etc.  So far the surgery has been through a cystoscope.  I took a urine test 1-month to my recent surgery and results we that I was low on citric acid, so I'm trying to increase my intake.

My urologist will follow up with another urine test this month to see if I need to make future changes in my diet.  If I form calcium deposits again, my doctor has informed me that I most likely will need the area removed, sewn up which seems radical for a calcium deposit problem.  Is there any research or information that could help me avoid future calcium build-up.  He had also mentioned a bloodpressure medicine that extract calcium out of my urine.  I'm not one to lighty take maintenance drugs, but I do need a soluton.  I can only drink so much water.

Thank you for any information

[Ketan K Badani]

Sounds like you have had some evaluation of your urine in the past for high calcium levels.  The best test for a "metabolic" evaluation is a 24 hour urine test (where you collect urine in a jar for 24 hrs and the total amount is analyzed for different constituents (i.e. calcium, citrate, magnesium, etc.)  It is unusual to have calcium deposition in one area of the bladder where you had a previous procedure and not have other kidney stones.  Drinking water is a great way to dilute the concentration of calcium in your urine and help it wash out instead of precipitate and form a stone.  Citrate is a substance that binds with calcium to prevent it from precipitating and forming a stone as well and citrate levels are just as important as calcium levels.  If you citrate is low and calcium is high in your urine, then supplementation can help prevent calcium stone formation.  I would strongly encourage you to speak with your doctor about doing a 24 hour urine test to see exactly what elements in your urine are abnormal and find the right fluid and possibly medication combination to fix the imbalances.  
The medication you refer to that decrease calcium in your urine are known as thiazides.  They are a diuretic medication (you make more urine and decrease blood pressure) and it resorbs calcium from your urine into the body to decrease urine levels of calcium.  Again, I would recommend a thorough urinary evaluation first by your urologist.  Also, you need follow cystoscopies if your bladder tumor was malignant.

[yenoor]

Thank you for your response.  I did have a 24-hour urine test about about 2-months ago, just prior to my last operation.  The results came back that my Citrate was low.  I will be having another 24-hour urine test later this month.  The original tumor was not malignant, and have had about 6 cystoscopies in since the tumor was removed.  My doctor's concern is that the calcium deposit is forming on top of the previous tumor location making it difficult to inspect whether a tumor is forming under the calcium deposit.

Also, I still pass a kidney stone about every other year.

Thank you for your information and quick response to my questions.

[debbiegarcia08]

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