Kidney Stone Surgery

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Overview

Kidney Stone Removal Surgery in India - Top Doctors, Best Hospitals & Costs

Kidneys are a pair of bean-shaped organs in the body that filter the blood and remove the waste and excess fluids from the blood. When you don’t drink enough water and consume a lot of sugary and salty foods, then the water-electrolyte balance gets disturbed in the body. As the water levels decrease in the blood, the waste does not get flushed out and starts accumulating as small particles. These particles start clumping together, forming a solid mass that we commonly call kidney stones, which can also be referred to as renal stones, nephrolithiases, or urolithiases.

While the stones in the kidney are more common in adults, nowadays children and even infants are getting affected by kidney stones. Reports show that there is an increase in paediatric kidney stone incidence rates in Africa. Kidney stone removal is available in some parts of Africa, but in some African countries, adequate healthcare resources are lacking, making it difficult to provide surgical treatments for kidney stones.

The success rates of kidney stone removal treatments in India are high, done by top-class kidney stone hospitals, and the total kidney stone operation cost is minimal, making it highly affordable for patients, especially those coming from other countries. It is due to this reason that many African kidney patients from countries like Uganda, Congo, Ghana, and Zambia are travelling to India, especially for renal stone surgery. Continue reading for detailed information about renal treatment options like laser treatment for kidney stones and their costs available in India.

Signs and Symptoms of Kidney Stones

A kidney stone may not show any symptoms at all until it moves around the kidney or passes into the ureter. Following are some of the most common signs and symptoms of kidney stones.

Symptoms of Kidney Stones

Sharp pain in the back side of the abdomen, below the ribs.
Extreme pain in the groin and at the sides.
Vomiting and nausea.
Appearance of blood in the urine.
The presence of pus or white blood cells in the urine
Increased urge to urinate, but only a little urine is excreted.
Frequent urge to urinate but difficulty in urinating even after straining.
Burning sensation and irritation while urinating.
Frequent urge to urinate.
Infection that may cause fever and chills
Cold and flu symptoms.
The sensation of urination scorching your body.
Foul smell from the urine.
Change in the colour of urine (red, pink, or brownish tone).

What are the Kidney Stone Causes?

Kidney stones often do not have a single or defined cause, but several factors may increase the risk of getting a kidney stone. Kidney stones are formed if your urine consists of more crystal-forming substances like calcium, oxalate, and uric acid. The fluid present in the urine is not able to dilute these heavy substances. The urine may also lack substances which prevent the sticking together of these crystals. Thus, these conditions make it ideal for the formation of kidney stones.

What are the Diagnostic Tests to Confirm Kidney Stones?

Your doctor will review your medical history with you and may suggest certain testing procedures to confirm the diagnosis. These tests are done to check the presence and size of the kidney stones. Included in these tests are:

X-rays, CT scans, and ultrasounds may be used to determine the size, shape, position, and quantity of kidney stones in your urinary tract. These tests aid your doctor in determining the best course of treatment for you.
Infection and metabolic abnormalities that contribute to kidney stones may be detected with a blood test that measures how well the kidneys are working.
Additionally, the urine test evaluates the amounts of chemicals that create kidney stones and searches for symptoms of infection.

Our Expert Kidney Stone Specialists in India

CureIndia helps you choose the right doctor for your renal stone surgery. Most of the doctors in our associated hospitals have been internationally trained and are active members of many international medical councils and associations. Let's hear from some of the most reputed urologists for kidney stone removal in India.

1. Dr. Gautam Banga

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2. Dr. Vineet Malhotra

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3. Dr. Vijayant Govinda Gupta

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4. Dr. Vishal Dutt Gour

Kidney Stone Operation Cost in India

On average, the kidney stone surgery price ranges from 400 USD to 1,500 USD. Depending upon the size of stones you have, the treatment procedure you require, your overall health, any medication cost, your selected hospital and the location of the hospital, your surgeon’s fees, insurance coverage, travel cost, etc., the total cost of kidney stone operation in India can vary from patient to patient. Sometimes the patients have other complications along with kidney stones; for such patients, additional treatments are also required so the total cost can increase slightly. The average costs of different kidney stone surgery types are listed below for your general idea.

Treatment	Cost in India	Stay in India
RIRS Kidney Stone Surgery in India	$2,000 Unilateral / $3,500 Bilateral	7 Days
PCNL Kidney Stone Removal Surgery in India	$2,500	7 Days

The cost of nephrolithiasis operation in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Singapore ranges from 12,419 to 18,863 USD, 8,500 to 15,600 USD, 3,300 to 7,000 USD, and 4,500 to 8,000 USD, respectively. When we compare the kidney stone surgery price in India with the cost of the same operation in other countries, it is evident that the treatment cost in India is much lower.

Kinds of Kidney Stones

Knowing the kinds of kidney stones may help in determining their cause and may give a fair idea of reducing the risk of getting more kidney stones in the future. The different types of kidney stones include:

1. Calcium Stones

Most kidney stones are made of calcium, or more usually calcium oxalate. Oxalate is a substance that occurs naturally in food and is also synthesized by your liver.

2. Struvite Stones

Struvite stones are formed as a response to a urinary tract infection. Struvite stone grows at a fast speed and can expand over time.

3. Uric Acid Stones

Uric acid stones are most commonly formed in people who have a lesser intake of fluids or who may lose too much fluid.

4. Cystine Stone

Cystine stones are formed in people who possess a hereditary disorder in which the kidneys excrete too much of certain amino acids.

Kidney Stone Surgery Types

There are several procedures for getting a kidney stone removal. While some treatments consist of giving medicines and other non-surgical treatments for the removal of the smaller size of kidney stones, larger kidney stones may need surgery to be completely removed so that they do not cause any more problems. The different kidney stone surgery types are:

1. Shockwave Lithotripsy

In this kind of surgery, an X-ray or ultrasound is used to locate the stone in the kidney. After locating the stone's exact location, high-energy shock waves are aimed at the kidney externally, which go through the skin, and the stone breaks up into small pieces.

2. Ureteroscopy

Ureteroscopy is used to treat stones present in the kidneys as well as ureters. A thin, flexible scope is used to locate and remove stones. It is a minimally invasive procedure with no incisions. However, the doctor injects anaesthesia, and you may sleep during the procedure.

3. Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy or Percutaneous Nephrolithotripsy (PCNL)

Sometimes lithotripsy is not able to break a stone if it is really big. Therefore, percutaneous nephrolithiasis operation is chosen as the best procedure for such cases. In PCNL, the doctor uses a small tube that reaches the stone and breaks it with high-frequency sound waves.

Why Kidney Stone Removal Surgery in India?

Nowadays, due to increased consumption of unhealthy foods, developing kidney stones has become quite common. The treatments for the removal of renal calculi in India are highly successful and cost-effective. You can definitely consider India as the best country to receive your kidney stone surgery.

Kidney Stone Removal Surgery FAQs

Is there a way to determine if I have a kidney stone?

Yes, the common symptoms may appear if you have stones in your kidney, which may travel through your ureters (the small tubes that carry urine from your kidneys to your bladder). Inflammation, uneasiness, vomiting, sharp pain in the back of the abdomen that reaches the groin area, difficulty in urination, and night sweats are some of the signs of kidney stones. Consult your doctor to get the proper diagnosis for your renal calculi surgery.

What is the root cause of kidney stones?

Kidney stones are basically an accumulation of crystalline substances such as salts and minerals that occur when you have excess calcium, oxalate, sodium, etc., and less water in your blood. Make sure to drink enough water to help your body flush out these crystal-forming substances.

Does urinating cause a lot of pain if you have kidney stones?

Yes, when the stones move from the kidney to the ureter and into your urinary bladder, it will cause intense pain, which is often accompanied by a burning sensation when you try to urinate. The discomfort and pain increase with an increase in the size of the stones. In addition to this, if you develop a urinary tract infection, then both of these conditions combined can cause unbearable pain.

Can children also develop kidney stones?

Yes. People of all ages, including children and infants, can develop stones in their kidneys, but it is mostly common in teenagers and adults. If a child has a family history of kidney stones, then he/she has a risk of developing them too.

What are the latest and most advanced treatments for kidney stones available in India?

There are many types of innovative treatments for stone removal available in India; the common ones are ESWL, Lithotripsy, robot-assisted surgery, PCNL, URS, laser surgery, and Mini PCNL. Research is always going on in India to discover the most beneficial treatments. You can talk to your selected doctor in India for detailed information about innovative treatment procedures.

Will the stone reform after removing them?

It may or may not recur after the removal of renal calculi. It depends on what your lifestyle looks like. If you still continue to consume high-salt and sugar-containing foods, then there are high chances of recurring kidney stones. But if you maintain a healthy and balanced diet and drink enough water, the chances of developing stones in the kidney are nullified.

What are the success rates of kidney stone surgery in India?

Kidney stone surgery is a very common type of surgery in India that includes no complications unless the patient’s overall health is deteriorating. The success rate of renal calculi surgery in India is 99%.

What happens if the kidney stones are left untreated?

If left untreated, the stones in the kidney can block the ureter (tube-like organs that carry the urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder). When this happens, the ureters become narrow and stop the urine from flowing into the bladder. This can cause a lot of strain on the kidneys, which can lead to urinary tract infection and, as a result, lead to kidney failure. However, the chances of kidney failure due to kidney stones are very rare because the stones can be removed easily.

Gleneagles Global Hospital, Bangalore