Patient education: Lithotripsy for kidney stones – Discharge instructions (The Basics)

What is lithotripsy? — This is a procedure to break up kidney stones into smaller pieces. Lithotripsy does not involve surgery, but it can be painful.

Lithotripsy can be done in 2 ways: using shock waves or using lasers.

How do I care for myself at home? — Ask the doctor or nurse what you should do when you go home. Make sure that you understand exactly what you need to do to care for yourself. Ask questions if there is anything you do not understand.

For the first 24 hours after your procedure:

●Do not drive or operate heavy or dangerous machinery.

●Do not make any important decisions or sign any important papers.

●Do not drink alcohol of any kind.

You should also:

●Take all of your medicines as instructed. Your doctor might prescribe medicines to help prevent more kidney stones.

●Drink plenty of water – This will help to flush out your urinary tract.

●Know what to expect when you urinate – You might see blood in your urine for a few days after your procedure. This is normal. If you had a stent placed, you might also feel pain in your back, side, or bladder, or a burning feeling when you urinate. A stent might also make you need to urinate more often or in a hurry.

●The doctor might ask you to strain your urine by using a filter. This will collect the pieces of the stone when they come out. The doctor might want to run tests on the stone to learn more about it.

What follow-up care do I need? — The doctor will want to see you again after the procedure to check on your progress. In a couple of months, they will also want to do imaging tests to make sure that your kidney stones are gone. Go to these appointments.

If you had a stent placed, you will need another procedure to remove it.

When should I call the doctor? — Call for advice if:

●You have signs of an infection. These include a fever or 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, chills, or pain when you urinate.

●You are in a lot of pain, even after taking pain medicines.

●You have a lot of bleeding from your urethra (figure 1), or the bleeding lasts longer than 5 days.

●You have blood clots in your urine that are the size of a dime or bigger (3/4 inch, or 1.7 cm).

●You do not urinate for more than 8 hours.

●Your urine is cloudy, smells bad, or has more blood in it than before.

●Your stent comes out, if you had one.

More on this topic

Patient education: Lithotripsy for kidney stones (The Basics)
Patient education: Kidney stones in adults (The Basics)
Patient education: Kidney stones in children (The Basics)
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Patient education: Hydronephrosis in adults (The Basics)
Patient education: Polycystic kidney disease (The Basics)
Patient education: Blood in the urine (hematuria) in adults (The Basics)
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Patient education: Kidney stones in adults (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Kidney stones in children (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Polycystic kidney disease (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Blood in the urine (hematuria) in adults (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Blood in the urine (hematuria) in children (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Chronic abdominal pain in children and adolescents (Beyond the Basics)