Kidney Stone Treatment in Jaipur

What is a kidney stone and how does it form

A kidney stone is a hard lump made of minerals that can form in your kidneys and cause pain or trouble peeing. Kidney stones are clusters of crystals or solid masses that form from minerals, acids, and other substances in your urinary tract. They can be as small as a grain of sand or, rarely, larger than a golf ball. Kidney stones are usually caused by a build-up of chemicals found in your pee.

These include substances like:

• Calcium
• Sodium
• Oxalate
• Uric acid

When you have too many particles of these substances in your pee and too little liquid, they stick together to form crystals. Over months or years, these crystals can grow into stones.

About 1 in 10 people will get a kidney stone during their lifetime. If you have had one kidney stone, you have up to a 75% chance of having another one in your lifetime. Kidney stones are named for the type of crystals they are made of. Most stones form attached to tissue patches called Randall's plaques in the kidney.

In studies, crystal buildup is linked to cell irritation and temporary swelling in the kidneys. Kidney stones do not cause death, and they are a temporary condition. Once you pass the stone or have it removed by our surgical team, kidney stones will not bother you forever.

Kidney stone symptoms and when to seek urgent care

Depending on the size of your kidney stone, you may not realise that you have one. Smaller stones can travel through your urinary tract and pass in your pee without causing any symptoms. However, passing kidney stones is often painful. Even some small stones can cause severe pain as they move.

Large kidney stones can get trapped in your ureter, which is the tube that carries pee from your kidney down to your bladder.

The most common symptom of kidney stones is pain in your lower back, belly, or side. This pain may extend from your groin to your side. It can be a dull ache, or it can be sharp and severe. Doctors often call this colicky pain because it tends to come and go in sharp waves.

Other symptoms you may notice include:

• Feeling hot, cold, or shivery, or having a high temperature
• Feeling sick in your stomach (nausea) or vomiting
• Needing to pee more often than usual
• Pee that looks cloudy
• Blood in your pee

You should visit our 24×7 emergency department the same day if your pain is unbearable. Urgent medical attention is necessary if a stone causes a blockage that stops your pee from flowing. A trapped stone can cause pee to back up, limit your kidney's ability to filter body waste, or cause bleeding.

Kidney stone causes and who is at higher risk

Kidney stones are most common in men in their 30s and 40s. You are more likely to develop kidney stones if you do not drink enough water to stay hydrated. In warm weather or active routines, dark pee is a clear sign that you are dehydrated and need to drink more water. A close family member with kidney stones or having had stones before also increases your risk.

What you eat and drink directly affects your risk of developing stones. Having too much salt in your diet raises your risk. In research studies, adults with higher sodium intake showed an 11% to 61% increased risk of stones. Adults should have less than 6g of salt a day.

Eating a high-protein, low-fibre diet or being bed-bound and inactive can also lead to stones. In a large study of over 51,000 people in the United Kingdom, people who ate less meat had a lower risk of kidney stones than heavy meat-eaters. Not having enough calcium in your diet also increases your risk.

Certain health conditions and medicines increase your chances of getting stones. You are at higher risk if you have metabolic syndrome, frequent urine infections, or diabetes. In medical studies, people with diabetes had over twice the odds of developing stones compared to those without diabetes. High blood pressure is also linked to stones. Medicines such as aspirin, antacids, water tablets (diuretics), and antibiotics can raise your risk as well.

How our doctors diagnose kidney stones

When you visit Jaipur Hospital for an OPD consultation, a doctor can usually diagnose kidney stones by listening to your symptoms and doing a physical check-up.

Your doctor will ask about:

• Your diet
• Your medical history
• Any medicines you take
• Whether anyone in your family has had kidney stones

You should be evaluated by a healthcare provider to check for blockages or other complications.

To see the exact size and location of the stone, our team uses diagnostic imaging. Adults typically undergo a CT scan. For pregnant women and children under 16 years of age, doctors use an ultrasound scan instead. In clinical trials, starting with an ultrasound was linked to lower radiation exposure than a CT scan, without increasing complications or hospital visits.

Your doctor will also order blood tests and urine tests. Urine tests check for infection, traces of blood, or high levels of stone-forming crystals. Blood tests check your kidney function and mineral levels. Knowing the exact size and location of your stone allows your surgeon to recommend the most suitable treatment.

Non-surgical care and when surgery is advised

Around 80% of kidney stones can pass out of your body on their own in your pee. In clinical records, around 90% of small stones smaller than 6 mm pass without a procedure, while about 60% of stones larger than 6 mm pass on their own. A stone smaller than 4 mm may take one to two weeks to pass.

Larger stones that can pass may take two to three weeks. Once a stone reaches your bladder, it usually passes in a few days. However, it can take up to three weeks or more for stones to pass.

If your stone is small and likely to pass, your doctor will ask you to monitor your symptoms at home. Adults should drink 2.5 to 3 litres of water each day, while children should drink 1 to 2 litres. You can add fresh lemon juice to your water. Avoid drinking lots of fizzy, caffeinated, or alcoholic drinks.

Do not make sudden diet changes without speaking to your doctor. Your doctor may prescribe medicines from our in-house chemist to manage pain, reduce nausea, and help your stone pass. You should follow up if the stone does not pass within four to six weeks.

If a stone is not causing pain or risk of kidney damage, it does not have to be removed. However, surgery is advised if you have a large stone, severe pain, or a stone that blocks the flow of pee.

Surgical options typically include:

• Shock-wave lithotripsy (ESWL)
• Flexible laser surgery without cuts (RIRS)
• Rigid scope surgery for lower ureter stones (URSL)
• Keyhole surgery (PCNL) through a small cut in your back

Your surgeon will advise which option suits your condition. At Jaipur Hospital, procedures are typically performed under spinal or general anaesthesia. Patients usually return to light activity in 2 to 5 days, and hospital stays typically last daycare or 1 night.

Preparing for kidney stone surgery

When a stone cannot pass on its own, your surgeon will discuss surgical options with you. Preparing for kidney stone surgery begins at the OPD before your admission date. Your doctor will arrange tests to check your overall health and locate the stone. These usually include blood tests and urine tests.

You will also need imaging such as an ultrasound scan, an X-ray, or a CT scan to check the exact size, shape, and position of the stone.

Tell your surgeon about every medicine you take regularly. You must discuss medicines such as aspirin, diuretics, antibiotics, and antacids with your doctor beforehand. Never stop or alter your routine medicines on your own. Your surgeon and the anaesthesia team will advise you on which medicines to take or pause before the operation.

Fasting instructions depend on the type of anaesthesia planned for your procedure. Procedures done under general or regional anaesthesia require an empty stomach. Our surgical team will inform you typically how many hours before surgery you must stop drinking and eating.

On the day of your surgery at Jaipur Hospital, bring your previous medical files, prescription slips, and government identity cards. You should also bring any scheme cards or private health insurance documents. You should have one adult attendant stay with you during your hospital admission.

How kidney stone surgery is done

Our surgical team offers several surgical techniques to break up or remove kidney stones. Your surgeon will examine your scans and advise you on which procedure suits your stone size, shape, and location. Jaipur Hospital does not use one single technique as standard for every patient.

• RIRS (Retrograde Intrarenal Surgery): This flexible ureteroscopy technique uses laser energy without any skin cut. A thin, flexible scope passes through the urethra and bladder into the kidney. A laser fibre breaks the stone into dust or small fragments. The fragments are flushed out or removed with a wire basket.
• PCNL (Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy): This is keyhole surgery for large or complex stones. The surgeon makes a small incision in your back to insert a miniature camera called a nephroscope. Special instruments or sound waves are used through the tube to break and remove the stone.
• ESWL (Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy): This is a non-invasive procedure that uses high-energy shock waves from outside the body. It targets small stones in the kidney to crack them into tiny pieces that pass out in your pee.
• URSL (Ureteroscopic Lithotripsy): A rigid scope passes through the urethra into the lower ureter. The surgeon reaches the stone and uses a laser to break it into pieces or removes it using a tiny wire basket.

On the day of the procedure, you will be admitted to Jaipur Hospital. The procedure time is usually 30 to 90 minutes. Anaesthesia is typically spinal anaesthesia or general anaesthesia. For ESWL, light sedation with local anaesthesia or general anaesthesia may be considered, or it may be done awake without anaesthetic. PCNL requires general anaesthesia.

Ureteroscopy is often done under general anaesthesia. A soft tube called an ureteric stent may be placed in your ureter to help pee drain and let stone fragments pass. Your hospital stay is usually daycare or 1 night, though some procedures like PCNL may require a short stay of 1 to 3 days.

Risks and possible complications of kidney stone treatment

Every surgical intervention carries some potential risks. Your surgeon will talk to you about these before you give your consent. Most patients recover without serious problems, but knowing what might occur helps you stay alert during recovery.

During and after ureteroscopic procedures, there is a small chance of infection, bleeding, or injury to the ureter. Patients may notice some blood in their urine and mild discomfort as tiny stone fragments pass out. In studies evaluating emergency presentations for suspected stones, the incidence of high-risk diagnoses with complications within the first 30 days was low at 0.4%.

For keyhole procedures like PCNL, possible risks include bleeding, infection, kidney damage, blood clots, and organ injury. Because the instrument passes through the back into the kidney, there is a small risk of injury to nearby organs like the bowel, the ureter, the liver, or the bladder.

In clinical study reviews comparing techniques, standard PCNL achieved stone clearance at the expense of higher complication rates, more blood loss, and longer hospital admission times compared to less invasive procedures.

Recovery and aftercare after kidney stone treatment

Recovery begins in the recovery room at Jaipur Hospital under the observation of our clinical team. After a daycare procedure or a stay of 1 night, your attendant can assist you with your discharge. Recovery allows most patients to be back to light activity in 2 to 5 days.

For PCNL, patients stay in the hospital typically 1 to 3 days so doctors can monitor healing. You may need to stay off work for a week or so after a PCNL.

During the first days at home, you may feel mild burning or notice pink-coloured pee, especially if an internal stent has been placed. Take all medicines exactly as prescribed by your doctor. You can buy your prescribed medicines from our in-house pharmacy or your local chemist.

Drink plenty of clean water, typically 2.5 to 3 litres each day for an adult, to keep your pee pale and flush out tiny fragments. If a stent was inserted, it is usually removed after 1 to 4 weeks during a quick OPD visit.

In the first weeks, gradually return to your normal routine while avoiding heavy lifting. Follow-up imaging with an ultrasound scan or X-ray will be scheduled to confirm that stone pieces have cleared.

Call Jaipur Hospital or visit our 24×7 emergency department immediately if you develop:

• A high fever with chills
• Severe belly or back pain that does not improve with medication
• Heavy bleeding with large clots in your pee
• Continuous vomiting
• An inability to pass urine

Results and recurrence rates in studies

Clinical studies show that modern interventions are effective for clearing urinary stones. In a meta-analysis of ten studies comparing stone surgery techniques, researchers observed that standard PCNL provided a higher stone-free rate than RIRS, while RIRS provided higher stone-free rates than minimally invasive percutaneous procedures. However, PCNL was also associated with longer hospital stays and greater blood loss.

Kidney stones tend to recur over time if underlying factors remain unaddressed. Medical literature notes that about 1 in 10 people develop a kidney stone during their lifetime. If you have had one stone, medical research reports you have up to a 75% chance of forming another stone in your lifetime.

In one long-term study following patients for a median of 11.2 years, stone recurrence was documented in 11% at 2 years, 20% at 5 years, 31% at 10 years, and 39% at 15 years.

Clinical trials have examined ways to reduce this recurrence risk. In patients with one past calcium stone, low-strength evidence showed that increasing daily fluid intake halved the risk of recurrent stones. In large prospective dietary studies, following a DASH-style diet reduced the risk of kidney stone formation by up to 45%.

Maintaining adequate calcium in your diet and cutting down on salt and soft drinks also showed lower recurrence in research groups.

Cost of kidney stone treatment and insurance in Jaipur

The price for kidney stone treatment at Jaipur Hospital typically ranges from ₹40,000 to ₹1,50,000. This is the typical range in India; ask us for an estimate. The final cost changes depending on several medical factors.

These factors include:

• The surgical technique selected
• The size and number of stones
• Whether stones are present in one or both kidneys
• The type of anaesthesia
• Whether your stay is daycare or requires 1 or more nights in the ward

Jaipur Hospital is empanelled with major government health schemes, including:

• Rajasthan Government Health Scheme (RGHS)
• Ayushman Utkrisht Chiranjeevi MAA Yojana
• Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS)

Patients covered under these schemes can access treatment according to the rules and approval limits of their respective schemes.

We also work with a wide panel of private insurers and Third Party Administrators (TPAs) for cashless hospitalisation and reimbursement claims. Kidney stone procedures are covered under health insurance by most healthcare insurance providers. Please present your scheme card or insurance policy document during your OPD consultation so our team can assist you with your pre-authorisation paperwork.