Kidney Stones

The institute’s Kidney Stone Center is the only center of its kind in Rhode Island. We use the latest technology and preventive techniques to provide comprehensive care for patients who have or are recovering from kidney stones. Our team of nephrologists, urologists, registered nurses, dietitians and sonographers collaborate to give patients the best options for nonsurgical and surgical treatment.

We offer patients complete medical and dietary management, as well as diagnostic services, in one location. Although medical expulsive therapy resolves most kidney stones, some patients may require minimally invasive surgery to remove the stone. The Kidney Stone Center provides the following options to treat kidney stones:

• Shockwave lithotripsy: This incision-less procedure uses sound waves delivered outside the body to dissolve the kidney stone to a passable size.
• Laser lithotripsy: Pulses of light are used to dissolve the kidney stone to a passable size.
• Ureteroscopy: Using cystoscopy, the physician inserts a long thin tube into the kidney without making any incision and uses an attached device to remove a small stone. 
• Ureteroscopy with laser lithotripsy: A laser is used to break up the stone, which can then be extracted or allowed to pass through the urinary system.
• Percutaneous nephrolithotomy: A large stone is removed through a tube placed into the kidney via a centimeter-long incision in the patient’s back.

Our goal is not only to treat existing kidney stones, but also to stop stones from forming. Recurrent stone disease affects 50 percent of patients within 5 to 10 years following stone removal. However, medical and nutrition management can dramatically reduce the chances of stone formation for many people.