Kidney Stone Care

University of Iowa Health Care kidney stone specialists offer comprehensive, patient-specific treatment plans to remove your stones, relieve your pain, and improve your quality of life by helping to prevent stones from returning.

Request an Appointment

For Urology related requests:

1-319-356-2421

For all other requests:: 1-800-777-8442

Unlike many other kidney stone programs, we treat your active stones in a way that best suits your particular need, and we provide you with a plan to prevent future stones and future pain.

Iowa’s most experienced kidney stone experts

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to kidney stone care, which is why our kidney stone care team includes extensively trained specialists—including urologists, nephrologists, dieticians, and more—to help address your unique needs and health goals.

Our surgeons are uniquely trained in complex surgical and medical kidney stone management, so they will be able to tailor a treatment plan specifically to you, regardless of how rare or complex your condition may be. They are also actively involved in ongoing research to help create better treatments and better ways to prevent kidney stones.

Kidney stones are common

One in nine people will develop a kidney stone at some point in their lives.

Your urine eliminates waste from your body, including excess water and substances such as salts and minerals. When your body has too much of these substances and not enough fluids to wash them out, they can build up and form a kidney stone.

Symptoms of kidney stones

Most patients do not have any symptoms of kidney stones while they are in the kidneys. As kidney stones begin to pass through the urinary tract, they can cause a range of symptoms.

Passing a kidney stone

Most kidney stones range in size from as small as a grain of sand to as large as a golf ball, with some stones filling the entire kidney. You may experience a range of symptoms while passing a kidney stone, including:

Extreme pain in your back or side that will not go away
Blood in your urine
Fever and chills
Vomiting
Foul smelling or cloudy urine
A burning feeling when you urinate
Inability to urinate

Many kidney stones will pass without help from a doctor. Sometimes stones get stuck in the urinary tract, resulting in a block in your flow of urine and extreme pain. If symptoms become too severe and stones will not pass on their own, you may need to seek treatment.

Diagnosing kidney stones

Kidney stones are diagnosed using a series of lab and imaging tests, including:

Lab tests

Blood and urine tests may be used to indicate whether you have a stone or infection present. They can also be used to determine your risk factors for future stone development based on the levels of certain minerals in your blood and urine.

Imaging tests

Abdominal X-rays, kidney ultrasounds and computed tomography (CT) scans can help your doctor find the kidney stones in the kidneys or urinary tract and determine the best type of treatment for your stone.

Stone analysis

If you have a stone that you’ve passed, your provider may ask to analyze it to determine the kind of kidney stone you have.

Having a correct diagnosis and knowing exactly which kind of kidney stones you have will help determine the best treatment.

You do not need a referral to make an appointment with a urologist if you have or suspect you have kidney stones.

Causes of kidney stones

Kidney stones have many possible causes that range from lifestyle factors to genetic or metabolic disorders. The cause can vary based on what kind of kidney stones you have.

Types of kidney stones

There are four main types of kidney stones:

Calcium stones

These are the most common type of kidney stones. They can be either calcium phosphate or calcium oxalate. They form when calcium is not flushed out with urine and instead stays in the kidneys to form stones. They can be caused by several factors, including eating too much oxalate (a mineral commonly found in fruit, vegetables, and nuts); dehydration; a diet high in protein, sodium, or sugar; obesity; or a digestive disease such as ulcerative colitis. Phosphate stones can also be seen with other diseases such as renal tubular acidosis or hyperparathyroidism.

Uric acid stones

This is also a common type of kidney stone that is formed when your urine contains too much acid. This can be caused by a diet high in animal protein, including fish, chicken, beef, and especially organ meat.

Struvite stones

These stones are less common and are caused by upper urinary tract infections.

Cystine stones

This is a rare type of kidney stone caused by a genetic disorder called cystinuria. This condition causes a buildup of cystine in the urinary tract system, leading to a lifetime of recurring stones.

It is also possible for your body to develop multiple types of kidney stones. For example, you could develop calcium oxalate stones and uric acid stones if your oxalate and uric acid levels are both high.

Risk factors for kidney stones

While anyone can develop kidney stones, they tend to be more prevalent in men and in individuals between the ages of 30 and 70. Other risk factors include:

Dehydration
A family history of kidney stones
Urinary tract infections or blockages
High levels of calcium in your urine (hypercalciuria)
Obesity

Diabetes
High blood pressure
Gout
Cystic fibrosis
Osteoporosis

Cysts in your kidneys
Inflammatory bowel disease
Parathyroid disease
Surgeries of the stomach or intestines, including weight loss surgery
Medications such as water pills (diuretics), calcium-based antacids, some antibiotics, and certain medications for HIV and seizures

Foods that cause kidney stones

Changes to diet could help prevent or reduce your risk of developing kidney stones. Certain foods that increase your risk for kidney stones include:

Animal proteins, such as meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, and organ meats
Foods high in sodium (salt), such as processed foods, frozen or canned dinners, and salted nuts
Foods high in sugar, such as sodas, sweetened fruit juices, and corn syrup
Foods high in oxalate, such as spinach, chocolate, rhubarb, nuts, and berries

Many people believe eating less calcium can prevent stones. This is not true. Calcium from your food can help lower the risk of stone formation. If you take calcium supplements, they may increase your risk.

Kidney stone treatment and procedures

Most of the time, you will be able to pass a stone on your own. For this, your doctor may tell you to drink more water, make some changes to your diet and lifestyle, and take pain relievers, such as ibuprofen, to help manage your symptoms and relieve pain. Your doctor may also prescribe medications to help manage nausea and help your ureter relax to help the stone pass.

In cases when the stones are too large to pass on their own and are at risk of causing bleeding, kidney damage, or infection, you will need a procedure to remove or break up the stone. Kidney stones rarely require open surgery.

Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL)

This minimally invasive procedure uses high-energy shock waves to break up the stones in the kidneys and ureter so that you can more easily pass the tiny pieces of stone in your urine.

Ureteroscopy

For this minimally invasive procedure, your surgeon will insert a small instrument known as a ureteroscope into your urethra and guide it to your ureter (backward along the path that urine normally travels out of the body). This instrument helps to locate and remove the kidney stone. It also houses a laser that can break up the stone if it cannot be removed whole.

Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL)

This procedure involves a small incision made in your back to allow your surgeon to insert a small viewing tool called a nephoscope into your kidney to locate and remove the kidney stone. A laser or ultrasonic device may also be used to break up the stone so that it can be removed more easily. You will be put under anesthesia and will need to stay overnight.