A urinary tract stone is a hard deposit of minerals, acid and salt that clumps together in your urine. Normally, these stones are small and pass unnoticed through the urinary tract.

However, when stones grow large, they can get stuck and cause a blockage in your bladder, urethra or anywhere in your urinary tract.

Urinary tract stones may cause no symptoms. When they cause a blockage, you may feel severe pain in your ribs, hip, back or abdomen.

To diagnose a urinary stone, we will recommend one or more of the following tests:

• Blood test: A blood test may reveal whether you have too much calcium or uric acid in your blood. Blood tests help us monitor your urinary tract health and rule out other conditions.
• Imaging tests: We may run imaging tests to visualize stones in your urinary tract. These tests may include X‑rays, CT scan or a combination of CT and injectable dye.
• Stone analysis: We may ask that you try to pass a few small stones into a strainer. Analyzing these stones helps us understand the makeup of the stone and the best treatment option to remove the others.
• Urine test: A 24‑hour urine test may show if you are excreting too much of certain minerals that lead to stones or too few substances that prevent stones.

We provide expert diagnosis and sophisticated treatment to remove stones and relieve pain. The method we use to treat stones depends on the size, makeup and location of the stone you have.

Small kidney stones, for example, don't require invasive treatment. We may recommend water, pain relievers or other medical therapies. If these treatments don't help, we offer sophisticated treatments for effective relief. These include:

• Minimally Invasive Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL): We use minimally invasive surgery to localize soundwaves and break up the stone. The sound waves create strong vibrations that shatter the stones into tiny pieces, which then easily pass into your urine.
• Minimally Invasive Ureteroscopic Stone Fragmentation and Removal (URS): We enter through the ureter to access the bladder, so we don't have to make any incisions. We use a thin, flexible scope to break apart and remove stones.
• Minimally Invasive Retrograde Intrarenal Surgery (RIRS): During RIRS, our surgeons access the stones through the rectum rather than the urethra. The size and location of the stones help determine which treatment path is right for you.
• Percutaneous Nephrolithotripsy (PCNL): Under general anesthesia, we use small instruments to surgically remove large stones. You may need to stay in the hospital for a day or two to recover. We typically use this surgery only if ESWL is not effective.