Has anyone had a ureterscopy to have stones removed? I have a 9mm stone in my left kidney and my provider is recommending ureteroscopy over lithotripsy due to the size and properties of stone (oxalate). What was the recovery like and how was the removal of the stent?
Thanks!!

what does your urologist say ?

He says the recovery is not that bad but I want to hear from folks that have had the procedure.

Very common. I did it three times. The stent can be the worst. It's not really comfortable.

Getting the stent out is no big deal. Well, for a female.

The one place where 9mm beats .45 every time. Good luck with the procedure.

I've had it done for a 12mm stone a year and a half ago.

On July 3rd 2015 I passed some blood, went and saw my doctor, which had X-rays done, and was told I had 2 large stones two in each kidney. All were larger then then yours. I was referred to a urologist. It went down hill from there.

I had a lithotripsy done on my right kidney. I was taken back to the room where my wife was and immediently started to pass fragments. I was in excruciating pain and they drugged me up pretty good. It took two hours to get the pain levels down.

A couple of days later I could feel another peice start to pass in the morning. By 9:00 pm it was unbearable and my wife took me to the emergency room. All the beds were full and I spent two hours in the waiting room, literally rolling on the floor with tears running down my cheeks, until a bed was freed up. They did nothing while I was in the waiting room. 5 minutes before they came back to get me, the pain started letting up when the piece passed into my bladder. They did an MRI and saw the piece in my bladder and said there was another one ready to start down from my kidney. They gave me some good drugs and sent me home.

The next morning I went to see my urologist and started to pass the other piece while I was in this office. Made it home and suffered for another couple of hours. A couple days later they went in with a scope and removed the remaining pieces and placed a stent in each kidney.

Two days later I had a stroke and lost the vision in my right eye. Because I knew what to do, breath into a paper bag which because of the carbon dioxide build up, causes the blood vessels to dilate and allow blood to move past the obstruction, my sight started coming back. Went to the emergency room, was immediately admitted (did not even get a chance to sit down) and spent the weekend in the hospital.

A couple of weeks later they tried lithotripsy on my left kidney, which had the two largest stones. It did not work. They wanted to try it again and I told them no because I did not want to go through again what had happen with my right kidney. The choice was then made to do surgery.

On October 15th 2015 they went in through my back, into my kidney, and removed a stone. They couldn't tell if they got both stones. I spent 4 days in the hospital. The 16th was my birthday. I went home with a bag on my back to catch drainage. About a month later X-rays were done and showed that the second stone was missed. In August of 2016 they scoped me and removed the remaining stone.

Based on what I went through, I would rather be scoped, like they are recommending for you. They will place a stent, long plastic line that allows urine to pass, with one end in your kidney and the other in your bladder. This is done so any swelling does not block off urine flow. It will be removed several days later.

After your proceedure, you will be a little sore, take your pain meds, and will probably pass blood for a couple of days. The stent will probably have a string on it that hangs out. It is used to pull the stent out. My wife was in the room when it was removed and wanted the doctor to let her pull it out. The doctor was a woman. They kidded around for a while and then the doctor said she would remove it on the count of 3. She jerked it out on two, the bxxxx!

Dude, get it done.
Uretoscopic, the times I've I've had it done (multiple)
1) procedure was done early in the AM. I was under anesthesia for a couple of hours.
2) 1-1.5 hour in recovery. Depends on how you handle anesthesia, I come out pretty quick.
3) I was home by noon( when having it done locally, 30 minute drive)
4) by supper time I was straight, motor skills back, remembering conversations, etc.
5) stents are uncomfortable, but you can handle it. I've only had them removed under anesthesia, so I can't speak to having it done "awake."

Very little soreness. I have had percutaneous provedures as well. MUCH more intrusive. Overnight hospital stays, pain, etc.

DO THE URETOSCOPIC!!

For what it's worth, I've passed up to 10mm stones.

I've never had a stone. I see 9mm and reminds me of the bullet that goes into handguns.

You're not expecting to piss this through, right?

Thank you everyone for the responses. I am having a Ultra Sound on Monday to verify the amount of stones and sizes. Had a CT in March and the provider wants to make sure no new stones have formed or to see if some have been passed. They plan on doing both kidneys. I know it will not be fun but if it takes care of the pain then I can gut this out.

quote:

9mm

Wow.

Best wishes for an uneventful and successful procedure.

quote:

Originally posted by hudr:
Dude, get it done.
Uretoscopic, the times I've I've had it done (multiple)
1) procedure was done early in the AM. I was under anesthesia for a couple of hours.
2) 1-1.5 hour in recovery. Depends on how you handle anesthesia, I come out pretty quick.
3) I was home by noon( when having it done locally, 30 minute drive)
4) by supper time I was straight, motor skills back, remembering conversations, etc.
5) stents are uncomfortable, but you can handle it. I've only had them removed under anesthesia, so I can't speak to having it done "awake."

Yup. Had one slightly larger than 9mm (dick bullet as my buddies called it), and this was my experience too. Only difference is that my stent was taken out in the doc's office with only a local anesthesia. Back in through the business end to pull it out. Not gonna sugar coat it...clearing the prostate was a bitch, but it was over pretty quick. Still better than trying to pass that monster! Good luck!

So by ureteroscopy, does that include laser "demolition" of the stones?
My urologist chose ESWL (lithotripsy) for me; 5 days later the fragments came crashing down my left ureter; ureteroscopy was done at that point to remove the fragments as I didn't pass them on my own.
I think if he were doing it over again he would have recommended ureteroscopy.
Removal of the stent without anesthesia was interesting. It was like "on three I'm going to remove it, one--oh, there we are." My wife heard a yell then a laugh.
If you feel comfortable with your urologist, I would go with their recommendation, not that of your SF "friends". His experience is about 1,000 times that of all of us put together.

Best of luck!
BTW it was interesting being a patient instead of physician, but I felt I was treated very well, well except they almost killed me with too much Dilaudid. Don't like that drug. Morphine was much better for me.

quote:

Originally posted by bonfire:
Has anyone had a ureterscopy to have stones removed? I have a 9mm stone in my left kidney and my provider is recommending ureteroscopy over lithotripsy due to the size and properties of stone (oxalate). What was the recovery like and how was the removal of the stent?
Thanks!!

Yes.

The stone that needed attention had left the kidney but didn't finish the journey.

Done under anesthesia. No pain, stent inserted at that time. Took the pills that turned my piss to Tennessee Volunteer orange. They easily controlled the burning.

Stint removed w/o anesthesia, took most direct route. Not painful but had trouble grabbing it. Pumped in water during the process. I warned him and then I made a hell of a mess because he didn't hand me the bucket in time.

quote:

Originally posted by bonfire:
Has anyone had a ureterscopy to have stones removed? I have a 9mm stone in my left kidney and my provider is recommending ureteroscopy over lithotripsy due to the size and properties of stone (oxalate). What was the recovery like and how was the removal of the stent?
Thanks!!

I had this done...same size stone. They sedate you and then...<ahem> use an existing orifice to thread a wire with a capture device to break-up and remove the stone.

At the end of the procedure, I had a wire hanging out connected to a stent to hold open the ureter. After 10(?) days the Dr removed the wire/stent.

How? You know when you pull start a lawnmower? He lied and pulled on 2...not 3

I would avoid lithotripsy. My treatment permanently damaged the muscle in my back when I had my procedure. I had a stent afterwords for TWO weeks. I took lots of drugs and was miserable, and kissed the nurse when she took it out. My stone was 9 x 11 and was killing me with pain. My son had the procedure you describe, and was working the next day. Good luck with your procedure.

No, but I stay in Holiday Inn Expresses and fix Lithotripers! Go reals!

I've had as many as 40. Yep, no kidding. Lithotripsy isn't an option for me anymore with one kidney. The method you're describing is my preferred method. They knock you out and when you wake up its gone. The stint is the worst part. There is the one with the string and one without. I prefer the string even as strange as it is. At least with the string, when they pull the stint, it's shorter pain. Without the string they have to run a scope and grabber into your bladder, grab it, and pull the scope and stint out. Both are fairly quick and done without anesthesia, only lubricant and a mild numbing agent that never numbs. The string is much faster and less uncomfortable. My first lithotripsy was in the army in 1985. I finished infantry school and airborne school with one in the ureter.

I am trying to forget I ever found out a person could have to go through any of that stuff.

My wife had lithotripsy twice and it worked like a charm. I don't know what kind of stones they were, but one was quite large.