Kidney Stones and UK Hospitals

[supercarrie]

Okay I'll admit this is a rather odd question, but have any of you UK DISers ever had a kidney stone and went to the hospital/A&E for it? I will be living in London for the next 6 months or so, and while I have dealt with kidney stones in the US MANY times (probably 20+ trips to the ER over the past 2 1/2 years, 10 stones in total) I was wondering what to expect in the UK - what medications, etc did they give you? Hopefully all will be fine, but if I do end up needing to visit a hospital I was just curious about your experiences. Thanks!

 

[Goofyish]

I've no personal knowlwdge of kidney stone treatment, but found this on a UK medical site:

Treatment

Treatment depends on the type and cause of the stone. Most stones can be treated without surgery. Drinking lots of water (two and a half to three litres per day) and staying physically active are often enough to move a stone out of the body.

However, if there is infection, blockage, or a risk of kidney damage, a stone should always be removed. Any infection is treated with antibiotics first. Stones that are too large to pass can be removed in several ways:

Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL)

This is the most common method and does not involve a surgical operation. Instead, shock waves are used to break the stones into crystals small enough to be passed in the urine. The shock waves do not hurt, although some people feel some discomfort at the time of the procedure and shortly afterwards.

Ureteroscopic stone removal

If a stone is lodged in the ureter, a flexible narrow instrument called a cystoscope can be passed up through the urethra and bladder. The stone is "caught" and removed, or shattered into tiny pieces with a shock wave. This procedure is usually done under a general anaesthetic.

Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL)

If ESWL doesn't work or a stone is particularly large, it may be surgically removed under general anaesthetic. The surgeon makes a small cut in the back and uses a telescopic instrument called a nephroscope to pull the stone out or break it up with shock waves.

Further information

National Kidney Federation (UK)
0845 6010209
Kidney Website

 

[Miffy2003]

supercarrie - sent you a PM

 

[snookhams]

I had kidney stones - only once - thankfully but it was a long time ago - at least14/15 years. I was treated with anti-biotics, pain relief and a short course of laser treatment which broke up the stones and then I passed them naturally. Hope this is of help to you.

 

[DisneyDes]

Unfortunately I've had a number of kidney stone problems, including one that cancelled a WDW trip. Only one of these was through NHS though.

My treatment was pain killers, an x-ray and when the pain got too much, one evening, a morphine injection and a trip to casualty. I was then given a hospital stay for a few days for observation. Not long after had the stone removed as a day patient.

All in all I was much happier with the treatment of that stone than I was for the episodes I took later through our private health scheme.

 

[supercarrie]

Thanks everyone! Hopefully I won't be hit with any more, but if I do it sounds like I can look forward to similar care in the UK.