Kidney & Ureteral Stones

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The Operation

Preparing for Surgery

  • Do not eat or drink anything after midnight the night before the surgery.
  • Aspirin, Motrin, Ibuprofen, Advil, Alka Seltzer, Vitamin E, Ticlid, Coumadin, Lovenox, Celebrex, Voltaren, Vioxx, Plavix and some other arthritis medications can cause bleeding and should be avoided one week prior to the date of surgery. Please contact your surgeon's office if you are unsure about which medications to stop prior to surgery. Do not stop any medication without contacting the prescribing doctor to get their approval.
  • Hospitalization is usually not necessary unless you are having a percutaneous stone removal. Have someone available to escort you home if your doctor plans to discharge you home after the surgery.

The Operation

Typically, the length of the operation is anywhere from 45 minutes to three hours depending on the type of procedure you are scheduled to undergo. ESWL typically lasts 45 minutes, ureteroscopic stone removal will usually last about one to two hours, while percutaneous stone extraction can last up to 3 hours depending on the complexity of your stones. A urethral catheter (Foley catheter) may be placed at the end of the procedure in addition to a ureteral stent or nephrostomy tube (for PCNL). The Foley catheter is removed shortly after the procedure, unless you had a PCNL. If this is the case, the Foley catheter will be removed the day after surgery, while the nephrostomy tube is removed about two days after surgery. If you have a ureteral stent, your doctor will let you know when it will be removed.

Potential Risks and Complications

Although this procedure has proven to be very safe, as in any surgical procedure there are risks and potential complications. The complication rates are similar when compared to the open surgery. Potential risks include:

  • Bleeding: Blood loss during ESWL or ureteroscopy. You may require a blood transfusion after a PCNL.
  • Infection: All patients are treated with broad-spectrum intravenous antibiotics prior to starting the surgery to decrease the chance of infection from occurring after surgery. If you develop any signs or symptoms of infection after the surgery (fever, drainage from the percutaneous incision, urinary frequency/discomfort or pain) or anything else that you may be concerned about, please contact us at once.
  • Tissue / Organ Injury: Although uncommon, injury to surrounding tissue and organs including bowel, blood vessels, liver, spleen, lungs is possible.
  • Failure: Your stones may be too numerous to be cleared in a single operation. If this occurs additional procedures will be necessary.