Kidney stone cases on rise, courtesy spicy food: Expert

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, January 9

After attaining age of 40, 15 persons out of 100 develop some type of kidney stones.

Reason: Intake of spicy and oily food consumed in north India, especially in Punjab. Of these 50 per cent undergo surgery.

Dr Sanjeev K Gupta, chief urologist, Aastha Hospital, said, “Once a stone is detected, people apply all sorts of unscientific methods, which often damage kidneys permanently.”

“Now, science has evolved. Stone removal surgery has become less time consuming and safe. We do 90 per cent operations by what is known as retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS),” said Dr Gupta.

Talking about RIRS, Dr Gupta said in this procedure surgery is done within a kidney by using a viewing tube called fiber-optic endoscope. In RIRS, the scope is placed through urethra (urinary opening) into the bladder and then through ureter into urine-collecting part of the kidney. The scope thus is moved retrograde (up urinary tract system) to within kidney (intrarenal).

He said, “Stone is seen through scope and crushed. It is removed by advanced laser technology.”

He said the RIRS eliminates prolonged pain after surgery and recovery happens much faster.

Dr Neena Gupta, senior nephrologist, Aastha Hospital, said, “We have most advanced technology and equipment for doing the RIRS, including ‘chip on tip’ flexible video ureteroscope and 100 watt-laser technology, which gives best results.”