What Are the Treatments for Kidney Stones & Gallstones?

by Beth Wyble Oliver

Overview

Kidney stones and gallstones usually pass uneventfully through the body, but can cause painful blockages that require treatment.

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Kidney stones and gallstones usually pass through the body easily without the patient even knowing it. In some cases, however, medical treatment is necessary to relieve pain, break stones down or prevent complications.
Kidney Stones

Kidney stones form when chemicals in the urine form crystals in the kidneys. If a stone lodges in the urinary tract and blocks urine flow, extreme pain occurs.

Medication

Medication may be prescribed to manage pain and to break the stone down chemically. Patients also drink lots of fluids to "flush out" the kidneys.
Other treatments

Other therapies for kidney stones include using targeted shock waves or lasers to break them down, or the removal of a stone with the aid of a scope. Surgery is rarely necessary.
Gallstones

Gallstones occur when digestive fluids stored in the gallbladder become solid. If one becomes lodged in the passageway from the gallbladder to the intestine, the resulting blockage causes severe pain.
Treatment

Many doctors recommend surgical removal of the gallbladder to prevent future attacks. Alternately, sound wave therapy and medication may be used to break stones down, but are not as effective as surgery.