Ask anyone who has ever had a kidney stone if he or she remembers the discomfort and you'll get a rolling of their eyes and a clenching of their teeth and a statement on the order of "I've never experienced such excruciating pain in my entire life."
Unfortunately, the fact
is millions of Americans have had, and will continue to have, this
horrible experience on a repeated basis. In general, once someone
has ``made" a stone, there is a 50% chance that he or she will experience
another one within the next five years. Rather than wait for the
next episode, it is possible to receive a basic evaluation including
a comprehensive history, physical examination and appropriate blood
and urine tests to isolate the specific metabolic defect that is
responsible for the current and possible future stone "attacks".
A
"stone" is a crystalline structure. Regardless of the "make-up"
or the analysis of the stone, it always started as a group of microscopic
crystals of the substance that would ultimately form the "stone".
These crystals may be composed of calcium, phosphorous, uric acid, oxalate, cystine, struvite, etc. or combinations of these substances.
The information necessary to reduce the risk of recurrent stone formation can usually be obtained in two office visits. At that point, relevant recommendations concerning diet, fluids, medications, etc. can be offered to the patient and his or her family so as to significantly reduce the risk of recurrence.