Whether you’ve had kidney stones before or you are a first-timer and you’re consulting with Dr. Google on all-things-kidney stones and how to treat them, you may be knee-deep in everything from lithotripsy to ureteroscopy to home remedy suggestions like apple cider vinegar. As a leading provider of non-invasive kidney stone treatment for the past 35 years, Triangle Lithotripsy has treated thousands of kidney stone patients with extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy, or ESWL.
When discussing your treatment options with your doctor, you will likely hear two main options: ureteroscopy and ESWL. Of the two (and we may be biased), lithotripsy is the ideal option if for no other reason than that it’s non-invasive — nothing is used to enter your body. Unlike ureteroscopy, which requires anesthesia, intubation, an overnight hospital stay, and often a urethral stent (and it’s subsequent removal), ESWL only requires outpatient sedation and minimal downtime.
So why wouldn’t everyone opt for lithotripsy? In fact, there are certain criteria that make a patient an ideal lithotripsy candidate, and alternatively, there are reasons that would disqualify someone from receiving lithotripsy. Reasons lithotripsy may not be recommended include:
- Pregnancy
- Morbid obesity
- Taking blood thinners
- Scar tissue build-up in the urinary system
- Chronic kidney infections
If none of these apply to you, and you’re looking for the easiest, least invasive kidney stone treatment that’s available, discuss ESWL with your doctor. And if you’re looking for a convenient location to receive your lithotripsy treatment, here’s where Triangle Lithotripsy treats kidney stones in Raleigh, Durham, Rocky Mount and Goldsboro. To learn more about lithotripsy and the services offered by Triangle Lithotripsy, get in touch via our contact form here.