Kidney stones and ureteral stones as the cause of renal colic
The shape, size, nature and location of a urinary stone influence whether symptoms occur. In the best case, small kidney stones pass spontaneously without treatment and are excreted with the urine. This applies to about 80% of all stones. Above a certain size, the likelihood increases that the stones will have to be removed as part of a treatment. Treatment is always unavoidable when a kidney stone triggers renal colic or causes urinary retention.
Questions about renal colic:
Renal colic is an episode of pain characterised by cramp-like, excruciating pain in the flank or lower abdomen. The pain comes in waves and may radiate into the genitals. Renal colic often occurs at night or at rest.
The pain is dramatic. The one-sided pain is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting and bowel complaints. The affected side is sensitive to tapping and pressure. In some cases there is an urge to urinate. If there is an accompanying infection, fever also occurs. An ultrasound examination provides initial clues. Through further examinations, the treating urologist determines whether the causes of the pain lie in the urinary tract or whether other causes such as biliary colic, an inflamed appendix or other organs are the trigger.
Renal colic is caused by a kidney stone that moves from a kidney into a ureter and obstructs the flow of urine there. It gets stuck, so to speak. The body tries to move the urinary stone into the bladder with wave-like movements. This causes cramp-like pain.
Such an episode of pain can vary in length. Renal colic can last from several minutes to several hours.
Renal colic is always dangerous because there is a risk that urine will back up into the kidney and pave the way for a life-threatening infection.
Due to the risk of complications, renal colic must always be treated by a doctor, if necessary in the emergency department of a hospital. Rapid pain relief is initiated. Then, depending on the location of the urinary stone, a suitable treatment is initiated to remove the stone.
Specialists in the treatment of renal colic are specialists in urology. At the Goldstadt Private Clinic, as a specialist urological clinic, the entire spectrum of urinary stone treatment and diagnosis is offered, both on an outpatient and inpatient basis. After successful treatment of renal colic, you should see the treating doctor regularly for follow-up care in order to keep an eye on any new stone formation.
Some people have a tendency to develop kidney stones again and again. The treating urologist will make recommendations tailored personally to the patient on how best to prevent new stone formation. A urological check-up is advisable to assess the risks of kidney stone formation.
About this page:
Author
Medical director of the Goldstadt-Privatklinik.
Specialist for Urology, Mini-PCNL and robot-assisted da Vinci procedures.
Member in Scientific Societies and Reviewer of scientific journals.
