Kidney Stone Clinic

Texas Children’s Kidney Stone Clinic provides comprehensive care for children and adolescents with kidney stones. Our multidisciplinary team of specialists evaluates, diagnoses and treats children who have previously had kidney stones, as well as those at risk for developing them.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis in the Kidney Stone Clinic involves taking a medical history, physical exam, laboratory evaluation and imaging tests. The types of imaging used in diagnosing stones are ultrasounds, abdominal x-rays and CT (computerized tomography) scans.

Treatment options

Based on the diagnosis, our doctors will recommend one or more of the following options:

Medical treatment, which usually focuses on pain relief.
Diet modification, such as increased water intake.
Surgical intervention, when indicated, can be performed 4 different ways:
Shock wave lithotripsy: This method uses a machine to break the stone into tiny particles that can pass naturally. Multiple treatments may be needed to get rid of the entire stone burden.
Percutaneous nephrostolithotomy (PCN): This technique involves going through the skin over the kidney to remove the stone. This is procedure utilized for large stones.
Ureteroscopic stone removal: In this procedure, an instrument is placed through the urethra and bladder to the level of the stone, and the stone is either removed with a special instrument or is broken up with a laser so the fragments can pass. A small stent (a small, mesh tube) may be left in the ureter afterwards for a short time to prevent blockage.
Laparoscopic or open surgery: Both surgeries require general anesthesia and manual removal of the stone.
Prevention and genetic diagnosis: Our team approach to care involves geneticists to help diagnose any genetic cause for kidney stones because some of the causes of kidney stone disease can be inherited.
Kidney stone research: When given permission from parents, our team collects patient data. We then make each patient’s information anonymous and analyze the data to help improve care for children with kidney stone disease.