AINU doctors’ unique fete: removes 300 stones from 75-year-old kidney

Hyderabad: Doctors at the Asian Institute of Nephrology & Urology (AINU), Hitech City, on Friday announced that they have successfully removed 300 stones from the kidney of a 75-year-old farmer.
The patient, Ram Reddy, a native of Karimnagar district, had been suffering from severe discomfort in the back and flank region for the past few months, until he was referred to and presented at AINU Hitech City.Ultrasound and Computerized Tomography (CT) scans indicated the presence of a massive stone of more than 7 cm size in the right kidney, the Institute said in a release here.
Commenting on the procedure, Dr. Md. Taif Bendigeri, Consultant Urologist, AINU said, “While 7 mm to 15 mm sized stones are commonly found among patients, more than 7 cms was too large and possibly quite painful for the patient.Advanced age of the patient, along with co-morbidities and chronic ailments like diabetes, hypertension, and cardiac issues, made the process more complex. However, the team led by Dr. Mallikarjuna C, conducted proper due diligence, and took all necessary precautions, and performed an advanced keyhole surgery using advanced LASER technology, the Urologist said.
“The clearance of the stone burden of more than 7cms was carried through a key-hole incision of merely 5mm in size. The large stone consisted of a massive stone load of more than 300 multiple stones.At the end of a technically challenging procedure, all the 300 plus stones were cleared from the kidney. The patient was diagnosed normal without any complications and was discharged on the second day after surgery,” Dr. Taif added.
Kidney stone formation is a common medical ailment in the society and the prevalence has been found to be among 6 – 12 percent of the general population.
The incidence of kidney stones has been increasing with changing dietary patterns and lifestyles among Indians. Most commonly, the kidney stones present with pain in the flank region of varying intensity and might also be associated with burning sensation in urine or presence of blood in urine. Simple investigations help in identifying the problem at an early stage and initiating the treatment immediately.
As a result of the latest LASER technology and instrumentations, patients like Mr. Ram Reddy can get the benefit of complete stone clearance with a very short hospital stay and minimal complications.
Ram Reddy could return to his daily routine from the very next day and did not require any bed rest.
It is important to note that kidney stones can be totally asymptomatic or have very minimal vague symptoms and damage the kidneys silently. Fortunately, this can be picked up easily with the help of regular kidney health checks periodically.
Patients who have had previous episodes of kidney stone formations are always at higher risk to formation of stones again and hence periodic follow-up is mandatory for such high-risk populations.
Doctors at AINU recommend people to drink more water during the upcoming summer months, to reduce the risk of formation of stones in kidneys.