When is surgery necessary for a kidney stone?
If there is a stone in the kidney, its location is very important. If it sits in the renal pelvis and causes dilation, then yes, it should be operated on. But if it sits in the lower calyx, we call it a silent stone, and in such cases we take age into account — that is, if the person is elderly and the stone is silent, we don’t attach any importance to it at all.
It may simply cause an infection, in which case we treat the infection. But there is no need for major surgery, or for ureterorenoscopy, where a camera goes in to remove the stone. If, on the other hand, the person is young, we still have the option of dissolving the stone with conservative treatment.
In that case we use that treatment. If the stone doesn’t dissolve, a decision to operate has to be made. Again, we take an individual approach. Very often, if it isn’t causing a problem and it is a silent stone, we leave it alone.
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