Treatment
Drinking 6 – 8 glasses of water or more per day to increase urinary output may help the stones pass.
Your health care provider may remove stones that do not pass on their own using a cystoscope (a small tube that passes through the urethra to the bladder). Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) uses ultrasonic waves to break up stones.
Some stones may need to be removed using open surgery.
Medications are rarely used to dissolve the stones.
Causes of bladder stones should be treated. Most commonly bladder stones are seen with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or bladder outlet obstruction.
For patients with BPH and bladder stones, transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) can be performed with ESWL.
Prognosis (Expectations)
Most bladder stones are expelled or can be removed without permanent damage to the bladder. They may come back if the cause is not corrected.
If the stones are left untreated, they may cause repeated urinary tract infections or permanent damage to the bladder or kidneys.
Complications
- Acute bilateral obstructive uropathy
- Chronic bladder dysfunction (incontinence or urinary retention)
- Obstruction of the urethra
- Recurrence of stones
- Reflux nephropathy
- Urinary tract infection
Calling Your Health Care Provider
Call your health care provider if you have symptoms of bladder stones.
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Bladder stones : Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors
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Bladder stones : Symptoms & Signs, Diagnosis & Tests
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Bladder stones : Treatment
Review Date : 3/22/2010
Reviewed By : Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington, School of Medicine; Scott Miller, MD, Urologist in private practice in Atlanta, Georgia. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
