Kidney Stones Removal in India – Costs, Hospitas, Surgeons

Kidney stones removal in India is recommended to patients who suffer from a deposition of several small or large stones or a single stone in one or both the kidneys. The deposition of stones in the kidneys can cause a number of complications if not treated on time.

It is a small surgical procedure, which is now mostly performed with the help of laser technology. The minimally invasive approach to remove stones from kidneys has several advantages associated with it. For example, it allows for faster recovery, minimal hospitalization time, and reduced rate of complications.

Kidney Stones Removal Hospitals in India

The best hospitals for kidney stone removal in India are globally renowned for their state-of-the-art infrastructure and medical facilities. There are a number of hospitals in the country that conduct kidney stone removal in addition to other urology procedures.

The top hospitals offer attractive packages to patients from both within India and abroad. Medical tourists from abroad are at an added advantage as they are able to save a huge amount of money if they prefer to choose to India for kidney stone removal.

This is because even the best hospitals offer this surgical treatment at an extremely cheap cost. In addition to the treatment services, these hospitals also help patients with a number of additional services such as hotel accommodation, visa assistance, local travel arrangement, and airport transfer.

When needed, the hospitals also arrange for language interpreters and money exchange facility. The top hospitals for kidney stones removal in India are globally renowned for their quality of medical services and great patient satisfaction scores.

A majority of urology hospitals in India are accredited by bodies such as Joint Commission International (JCI) and National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH). The quality certification awarded by these bodies is a proof of the fact that these hospitals maintain the highest standard of services, especially those related to treatment and patient satisfaction scores.

Kidney Stones Removal Cost in India

The total cost of kidney stones removal in India basically depends on the method or the technique used to remove stones from the kidneys. There are a number of ways by which a urologist may decide to remove kidney stones from the body of the patients, and each of these ways makes use of a specific technique or an approach.

Because of an affordable cost in India, patients choose to fly down to the country and get treated. Most often, they combine kidney stone removal in India with some other medical procedure, which proves highly economical.

There are, however, several factors that control the total cost of kidney stones removal in India. Some of the variables include the following:

• Duration of hospital stay
• Cost of any side procedures
• Type and cost of anesthesia used
• Type of complications experienced by the patients
• Cost of medications and other consumables
• Surgeon’s fees
• Hospital charges

Kidney Stones Removal Surgeons in India

India is renowned for its pool of surgeons, doctors, and paramedical staff. The country has the highest pool of doctors and medical personnel in Asia.

The best surgeons for kidney stones removal in India are educated and trained from some of the best medical universities in the world. They are extensively trained in the field of urology before they dive into actual practice.

However, their skill development does not end with their education and training. They attend conferences, seminars, training, and meetings around the year to upgrade their knowledge and skills. The top specialists in India believe in continuous medical education (CME) and complete the recommended number of hours each year to gain CME credits.

The best doctors for kidney stones removal in India travel around the world each year to offer their guidance and support to surgeons based in different countries. They work in close association with some of the top urology hospitals in India and abroad to provide their valuable feedback and guidance when needed.

Kidney Stones Removal: An Overview

The kidney stones are small and hard mineral deposits that form inside the kidneys. They have the potential to affect any part of the urinary tract. These are also known as renal calculi, renal lithiasis, or nephrolithiasis. These originate in the form of microscopic particles and develop into stones with due course of time.

If these kidney stones are smaller in size, they may pass out through urine. But sometimes they get logged in the ureter and may affect the urine flow. It pressurizes the back region touching the affected ureter or kidney and causes severe pain.

Symptoms of Kidney Stones

• Pain during voiding
• Massive pain in the side and back below the ribs
• Pain spreading to the lower abdomen and groin region
• Persistent urge to void the urine
• Change in the urine color

Kidney Stones Removal Methods

Earlier, an open surgical procedure was conducted to remove stones from the kidney. But with an advancement in medical sciences, an open surgery is no longer required to serve the purpose.

The following are some of the advanced procedures that are now commonly used for kidney stones removal in India:

Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy

Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy uses sound waves to remove stones present in the kidneys. Nowadays, it is the most popular method for the management of small-sized to medium-sized kidney stones.

Intense sound waves are produced outside the body and are focused on the stones in the kidney. These sound waves travel through the skin and body tissues to hit the denser stones. Repeated firing of these intense sound waves causes the stones to break into smaller pieces. These smaller pieces can easily pass through the urine via the urinary tract.

Regular penetration of the high-frequency sound waves may alleviate pain in some patients. Therefore, anesthesia is often needed in this procedure. However, this treatment can also be done on an outpatient basis.

Advantages:

• Non-invasive procedure
• Huge success rate
• Minimal discomfort after the procedure
• Can be performed as an outpatient procedure

Limitations: Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy is not successful in the treatment of hard stones such as cysteine, calcium oxalate, and calcium phosphate stones. This procedure is also not suitable for stones of larger size.

Complications:

The following complications may arise during or after the procedure:

• Shattered stone particles may cause discomfort a few patients
• They may cause blockage if they get stuck during urination
• The doctor may need to insert a stent into the ureter to pass the fragmented particles
• Additional treatment may be required in cases where the stone is not completely shattered with just one treatment

Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy

Percutaneous nephrolithotomy is a minimally invasive procedure conducted to remove kidney stones. This method is more commonly used to remove larger stones in the kidney.

The urologist makes a small incision in the back of the patient. A nephroscope is passed into the kidney through this tiny incision to locate the stone. The stone is either pulled out or it is fragmented into tiny pieces if the size is large. A laser or pneumatic energy source is used to break the stone into the smaller pieces. These smaller pieces are either removed directly or may be left to pass out naturally with the urine.

Advantages:

• Urologist can remove the stones directly instead of relying on natural elimination through urine
• Large and complex stones can also be easily removed with this technique
• Only one procedure is required to remove the stones completely

Limitations: Extremely large and more complex stones are removed in more than one attempt.

Complications: Percutaneous nephrolithotomy may require a tube or stent for temporary drainage after the procedure. Patients on blood thinning medicines such as heparin, warfarin, or aspirin are not advised to opt for this procedure.

Ureteroscopic Stone Removal

Ureteroscopy is the treatment method used to remove kidney stones by using a special telescope, called ureteroscope. It is used to remove small- to medium-sized kidney stones located in any part of the urinary tract or kidney.

The urologist passes the ureteroscope through the urinary opening into the ureter via urinary bladder. After detecting the location of the stone, the urologist targets a laser onto the stone to break it into smaller pieces.

These small fragments of the stone are either extracted or they are left to pass out with the urine. A stent may be placed inside temporarily to allow the pieces to drain out into the bladder.

Advantages:

• It has higher success rate and results in complete removal of small-to-medium-sized stones
• Can be performed without stopping blood-thinning medicines
• Hard stones can be removed with the help of ureteroscopy
• No incision is required
• It is an outpatient procedure

Limitations: Ureteroscopy cannot be used to remove large-sized stones.

Complications: Ureters are at a high risk of damage.