[baillan]

I went to the ER for a bad kidney stone incident in the past (14 years ago).

Then last year - April 2008 - I had severe flank pain and was diagnosed with a 7.5 mm stone in my rt. kidney. I had lithotripsy, but was unable to get any of the stone in the strainer to determine which kind of stone it is. A CT scan taken after lithotripsy showed the stone was gone, but a 2 mm stone remained in lower pole of left kidney.

This year - April 2009 - I was required to get a follow-up ultrasound per my urologist's instructions (one year post lithotripsy).

The report says: "There is a 6 mm echogenic focus involving the lower pole of the left kidney. No definite shadowing. There is a small ill-defined area of increased echogenicity involving the upper pole of the right kidney. This measures 2-3 mm. No hydronephrosis, solidy or cystic mass demonstrated."

I saw my urologist after this and he said I'll need another lithotripsy due to these stones, but first I need a KUB x-ray to determine the exact size of the stones. The fact that the 2 mm one in my lower pole of my left kidney grew 4 mm in one year was concerning to him. A few days later I got the KUB x-ray.

The report says "The bowel gas pattern is within normal limits. There are no radiopaque
calcifications along the expected course of the genitourinary tract. There are multiple bilateral pelvic phleboliths present. A tiny distal ureteral calculus would be difficult to exclude."

So my urologist's nurse called me with the x-ray results and said "your stones are gone. You're released from our care. Thank you!" I asked her how they were suddenly gone and she said "I don't know, but they're gone now."

I'm so confused. Two tests one week apart show completely different results??? I called and asked to speak to the doctor, but he doesn't speak to patients on the phone. Before my lithotripsy in April 2008 I got an x-ray to find the exact location of the stone. I remember the doc in pre-op telling me the x-ray didn't show the stone well enough so they had to do some sort of internal catheter... So do my stones not show up well on x-ray?

Should I request a CT scan or should I believe the stones are gone??

I am so confused and I just don't know what to do. I do not have any severe pain - luckily - but I do feel some weird twinges of discomfort from time to time in my left side, but it's very minor. Last time the pain took months and months of slowly building before it got so bad i went to a doc.

Any advice for me?

[lioness]

I would get a 2nd opinion.

KUB x-ray shows calcium containing stones around 3-4mm (not a doctor)...NOT uric acid stones which are not radiopaque.

I would also inquire about your abdominal ultrasound results...sounds like your uro didnt explain what it meant...or get it retaken to make sure it is actually "clear" down in the collecting system...if there are stones or calcifications in the kidney tissue they don't treat they wait til they drop down into the kidney...

It is not fun being a stone patient...never wanted this...didnt ask for it, but I am stuck with them...being that I have to ask for any tests to be done doesnt help either...but I would definitely get a second opinion and get the abdominal ultrasound retaken. You dont want kidneys full of stones at your next check up and since your stones grew 4mm in one year...then all of a suddent it's supposedly clear according to the KUB x-ray...and nothing passed? right? just evaporated?

Good luck to you...