Fast Relief and Long-Term Prevention
Kidney Stones
Kidney stones affect roughly one in ten people, and once you have had one, the odds of another are high without a prevention plan. At Texas Regional Urology, we treat stones from the first attack through long-term prevention, at our offices in The Woodlands, Tomball, and Kingwood.
What are kidney stones?
Understanding Kidney Stones
Kidney stones form when minerals and salts in the urine become concentrated enough to crystallize and clump together into solid masses. Most are made of calcium oxalate, though uric acid, struvite, and cystine stones also occur, and knowing the type matters because it changes how we prevent the next one. Stones can sit silently in the kidney for years without causing trouble; the pain begins when one moves into the ureter and blocks urine flow. Dehydration is the single largest contributing factor, which is part of why stone rates run high across Texas, along with diet, obesity, certain medications, family history, and some medical conditions.
How would I know if I had a kidney stone?
Symptoms of Kidney Stones
The hallmark is sudden, severe pain in the flank or side that may radiate to the lower abdomen and groin, often coming in waves and frequently accompanied by nausea and vomiting. Other signs include blood in the urine, painful urination, urgency and frequency as the stone approaches the bladder, and cloudy or foul-smelling urine. Many people describe it as the worst pain they have ever experienced, and the intensity does not reliably indicate stone size. Fever and chills alongside stone pain signal a possible infected, obstructed kidney — a true emergency requiring immediate care.
How are kidney stones diagnosed?
How We Diagnose Kidney Stones
Diagnosis is usually confirmed with imaging: a non-contrast CT scan is the most accurate study and shows the stone's exact size, location, and density, while ultrasound is often preferred for pregnant patients and for follow-up monitoring. Urinalysis identifies blood and signs of infection, and blood work assesses kidney function and calcium levels. When you pass a stone, we ask you to strain your urine and bring it in, because analyzing its composition directly shapes your prevention plan. For recurrent stone formers, a 24-hour urine collection reveals the specific metabolic abnormalities driving stone formation.
Why Choose Texas Regional Urology for Kidney Stone Care?
Why Patients Choose TRU
Here is what we can do
Kidney Stone Treatment Options at Texas Regional Urology
Most small stones pass on their own with fluids, pain control, and sometimes medication to relax the ureter. Larger stones, stones causing persistent obstruction, and stones accompanied by infection require intervention, and which procedure we recommend depends on the stone's size, location, and composition. Just as important as removing the stone is preventing the next one — recurrence is common and largely preventable, and prevention is the part of stone care most often skipped.
Observation and Medical Expulsive Therapy
Stones smaller than about 5 mm frequently pass without a procedure, aided by aggressive hydration, pain medication, and an alpha-blocker to relax the ureter. We monitor with imaging to confirm passage and to make sure the kidney is not being damaged in the meantime.
Lithotripsy (ESWL)
Shock wave lithotripsy uses focused energy from outside the body to break a stone into fragments small enough to pass. It requires no incision and is well suited to smaller and moderately sized stones in favorable positions.
Ureteroscopy
A thin scope is passed through the urinary tract to the stone, which is then broken up with a laser and removed directly. It has a high clearance rate in a single session and works for stones anywhere in the ureter or kidney, often with a temporary stent afterward.
Prevention Planning
Based on your stone composition and 24-hour urine results, we build a plan combining fluid targets, specific dietary adjustments, and medication where appropriate. This is the difference between treating one stone and getting out of the stone cycle.
Answers to your Kidney Stone Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Days to several weeks, depending on size.
Small stones often pass within one to two weeks, while larger ones may take longer or not pass at all. We monitor with imaging and intervene if the stone stalls or the kidney remains obstructed.
Fever, vomiting, or uncontrollable pain.
Fever with stone pain may indicate an infected, obstructed kidney, which is a surgical emergency. Persistent vomiting, inability to urinate, or pain you cannot control at home also warrant emergency evaluation.
No — low calcium can worsen stones.
Restricting dietary calcium often increases oxalate absorption and makes stone formation more likely, not less. Normal dietary calcium with reduced sodium and oxalate is usually the better strategy.
Likely, without a prevention plan.
A substantial share of stone formers develop another within ten years, but targeted prevention based on your stone type and urine chemistry cuts that risk considerably. This is why stone analysis and 24-hour urine testing are worth doing.
Enough to produce pale urine daily.
Most stone formers are advised to reach roughly two and a half liters of urine output per day, which usually means drinking more than that. In the Texas heat, outdoor work and exercise raise that requirement further.
In pain right now?
If you can't control the pain at home, go to the nearest emergency room.
For stone pain you're managing but want evaluated, call us and we'll find the soonest appointment.
