Urinary System Stone Disease

Urinary system stone disease is a term that covers kidney, ureter, bladder and urethral stones. Urinary system stone disease is a very common health problem that affects 2-3% of people and causes serious problems if not treated. It occurs more frequently in hot and arid climates, it is related to genetic factors and nutrition; Our country is one of the countries where stone frequency is relatively high. Having a family history of stone disease increases the risk, it is more common in men. In a person with stone disease, the probability of stone recurrence is over 50% when appropriate treatments are not applied.

Kidney Stones

It is the presence of stones in the renal collecting system. Kidney stones, most of which were treated with open surgery in the past, can be treated with closed surgeries, using different treatment methods, with the advancement of technology. The main goal in the treatment of kidney stones is to clear the stones with methods that cause the least damage to the kidney.

RIRS

Under general anesthesia, a thin instrument (flexible renoscope) with a light source, approximately 3mm in diameter, with a light source, is passed through the urethra (urinary tract) and bladder (urinary bladder). Access is provided to the pathway (ureter), which provides the connection between the kidneys and the bladder, and by passing the ureter, the kidney is reached to break the stone that has settled in the kidney. The kidney stone is broken using a laser power source that can pass through the renoscope. After crushing, large stone pieces are taken out, powdered crumbs are poured from the kidney. In the meantime, if any mass or suspicious formation is found, biopsy can be taken and treatment can be performed in the same session with endoscopic scraping (resection).

During this procedure, the surgeon can enter all the chambers of the kidney by controlling the tip of the instrument under direct vision and can break the stones with the help of laser.

Retrograde Intrarenal Surgery (RIRS) has become an important alternative in stone treatment with the development of new generation flexible (bendable) renoscopes and effective and safe stone breakers such as holmium laser. Today, most small and medium-sized kidney stones are successfully treated with Retrograde Intrarenal surgery (RIRS) without the need for open surgery or percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). In this way, the kidney can be reached without making a hole in the abdominal wall, and the stones can be completely broken up and cleaned with the renoscope and laser, which can be folded by entering through the urinary canal. This allows patients to be discharged from the hospital in a shorter time and return to their daily lives in a very short time.

By analyzing the stone fragments obtained after the surgery, the stone type is determined, in this way, some stones can be treated with some lifestyle suggestions and medical treatments, and some stones can be prevented from reoccurring.