Kidney stones

[dancermom28]

I have Sjogren's syndrone and develop kidney stones often and they usually pass on their on.  I had one crushed three years ago.  I now have one that is so large with smaller ones lodged inbetween it that have blocked of my right kidney (seen in a CT scan today).  I do not want to go through the crushing again.....what are other procedures?  Would like to be prepared before talking to urologist.  My GP sent me for test after +3 blood and +1 protein in urine and neg for infection

[dancermom28]

Yes...those with Sjogren's have a greater tendancy to develop stones or so my docs have said so.  I have passed twenty or more in five years, had one bout in the tub for crushing then this past week I had an 8 mm stone crushed and removed through my kidney.  Then had more blood work and waiting for the kit to do a twent-four hour urine collection.

[el_em_en_oh]

I didn't now that frequent kidney-stone formation was a symptom of Sjogren's syndrome. Or are you just mentioning the fact that you have Sjogren's syndrome, and that you make kidney-stones as well as having it?

Anyway, besides ESWL (Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy) to break up the stones, they can perform a cystoscopy or a ureteroscopy, and pull the stone out.

They'll scope you through your urethra and up through your ureter into your kidney, to gain access to the stone, then pull it out. If the stone is too big to just pull out through your ureter/bladder/urethra, they'll break it up into smaller pieces using a laser or little pneumatic jackhammer (seriously!), and pull the pieces out one at a time.

There's also a procedure called a PCNL (PerCutaneous NephroLithotomy). They make a small incision on your flank (your mid/lower back), and access your kidney from the outside (they attack it from the top, usually). They'll make an incision in the top of your kidney, and pull the stone out through the incision, then pull it out of your back. The recovery-time for a PCNL is far longer than a cystoscopy or a ureteroscopy, as there is cutting involved, whereas with a cysto there's no cutting (they're just inserting a scope).

In summation, alternatives to ESWL are:
1) Cystoscopy
2) Ureteroscopy
3) PCNL

Those are the only alternate methods for removing kidney-stones that I know of, but I'm no doctor (just a guy that's been making cystine kidney-stones for the last 20 years and passed 1,000's, and had many hundreds removed with all of the above mentioned procedures).

Good luck to you!

LMNO