Bladder Stones: Symptoms & Treatment in Indore

Hard masses of minerals in your bladder are called bladder stones. Crystallization of minerals in concentrated urine causes stones. This is generally seen if you struggle to empty the complete bladder.

If bladder stones are very small in size then they pass without any treatment. But if the size is moderate to large, surgery or medications will be needed.

Not just the small ones, but even the large bladder stones will sometimes cause no problems. However, in case a stone blocks the urine flow or irritates the wall of the bladder, then the following signs and symptoms may show up:

• Pain or burning sensation during urination
• Interrupted urine flow or difficulty urinating
• Frequent urge to urinate, especially at night
• Cloudy, bloody, or dark-colored urine
• Incontinence – the inability to control urination
• Lower abdominal pain

Bladder stones form as a result of the bladder not completely emptying. This makes the urine concentrated, which crystallizes to form stones. Sometimes, infections can lead to bladder stones. It can be an underlying condition that impacts the ability of the bladder to hold, store, and eliminate urine, or it can also be any foreign materials causing their formation. 

Below are some of the most common conditions leading to bladder stones:

• Prostate gland enlargement: An enlarged prostate (as in benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH in men) can obstruct the urine flow, thus preventing the bladder from emptying.
• Damaged nerves: Normally the bladder muscles tighten or release under the direction of the messages carried by nerves. And if these nerves get damaged, then again the bladder may not empty completely. 
• Other causes: Inflammation in the bladder and kidney stones can also result in bladder stones. Moreover, medical devices such as bladder catheters (inserted through the urethra to allow urine to drain from the bladder), certain objects accidentally migrating to the bladder (like a urinary stent or a contraceptive device) and mineral crystals that can form on the devices’ surfaces can all cause bladder stones.

Men, especially those above 50 years of age are more prone to having bladder stones. Other risk factors include an obstruction that blocks urine flow and nerve damage. When these two occur simultaneously, the risk of stones is further increased.

Bladder stones can result in chronic bladder problems, such as frequent urination, blocked urine flow, and pain. 

They can also lead to urinary tract infections (UTIs), as bladder stones tend to cause repeated bacterial infections in the urinary tract.

Because bladder stones are caused by some underlying condition, they are difficult to prevent. However, following the below-mentioned tips can help decrease your chances of developing them:

• Telling the doctor of all unusual urinary symptoms: These symptoms (such as enlarged prostate) being diagnosed early and treated may reduce your risk of bladder stone development.
• Drinking a lot of fluids: Fluids dilute the concentrated minerals of the bladder. The quantity of water that should be consumed depends upon your health, size, age, and activity level.

The following methods are used to diagnose bladder stones:

• Physical examination: The doctor will either feel your abdomen to detect any bladder enlargement or will perform a rectal examination.
• Urine test: The urine test involves an examination of microscopic amounts of bacteria, blood, and crystallized minerals in the urine. It also looks for any urinary tract infection (UTI).
• CT scan: X-rays and computers are used to get images of the body’s inside to detect very small stones.
• Ultrasound: Images are created by bouncing sound waves off the organs and other structures. 
• X-ray: X-rays are taken of the bladder, kidneys, and ureters to determine if you have bladder stones.

In the initial stages or in the case of small bladder stones, drinking lots of water will help pass the stones naturally. 

However, as they are formed due to difficulty in emptying the bladder, additional water might not be sufficient to pass the stone.

Many times you will have the stones to be eliminated through other methods.

Breaking stones apart

Anesthesia or numbing medications will be given in this process. This will make you unconscious and the pain will not be felt during the treatment.

The surgeon in Indore will insert a small tube with a camera into your bladder. This is referred to as transurethral cystolitholapaxy. Then ultrasound, laser, or some other device will be used to break the bladder stone into small pieces and flush it out.

Also Read: Kidney stone

Surgical removal

In some cases, stones formed are large and difficult to break. In this condition, your doctor will recommend surgery in Indore for the removal of bladder stones.

If they are caused due to an enlarged prostate or bladder outlet obstruction then these conditions must be treated at the same time as the surgery.

Percutaneous Suprapubic Cystolitholapaxy

A percutaneous suprapubic cystolitholapaxy is generally performed for treating children, to prevent their urethra damage. It's also sometimes performed on adults having large bladder stones.

Rather than inserting a tube into your urethra, the surgeon will make a small incision in the skin area near the lower abdomen.

Another incision will be then made into the bladder for stone removal. This is performed under general anesthesia.

Open cystostomy

An open cystostomy is often performed for eliminating bladder stones in men having a large prostate, or if the bladder stone is very large in size. 

It's a similar treatment to percutaneous suprapubic cystolitholapaxy, the only difference being a much larger incision in the bladder and abdomen in open cystostomy.

It might be combined and performed with other types of surgery, such as eliminating portions of or all of the bladder diverticula or prostate. Bladder diverticula are the pouches developed in the bladder lining.

The disadvantage or risk of an open cystostomy surgery in Indore is that it will cause severe pain afterward and will have a longer recovery time when compared to other surgery types. But this surgery is required if the size of the bladder stone is large.

After the surgery, a catheter will be placed for a day or two to drain the urine.

After the bladder surgery, you might be asked to visit your doctor for a follow-up appointment where a CT scan or X-Ray will be used to check if all the bladder stone fragments have been eliminated from your bladder.

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