Will laser lithotripsy hurt?

Laser lithotripsy is a method to solve stone disease. Stones are a very special disease, also called stone disease, which can appear in many places in the body, such as the kidneys, urethra, gallbladder and other parts. Laser lithotripsy can break up stones into small pieces and gradually excrete them from the body, thus playing a role in treating stones. Because it is done inside the body, many patients worry about severe pain. So, is laser lithotripsy painful?

You will be given anesthesia before the operation. It will not hurt during the operation, but it may hurt after the anesthesia wears off. If the stones are not particularly large, surgery is not recommended. If a nephrodermoscopy is performed, scars will be left on the body. If the kidney wound does not heal well, polyps will form, which will be more troublesome than stones. If a ureteroscopic surgery is performed, it may cause damage to the urinary tract, and the recurrence rate of the surgery is high.

Clinical manifestations

The clinical manifestations of stones in different locations vary greatly. Stones in the same location may have different clinical manifestations depending on the size of the stones, whether there is secondary infection, etc. The main symptoms of upper urinary tract stones are pain and hematuria. Patients usually present with either gross or microscopic hematuria, the latter being more common. If secondary infection occurs, it may manifest as acute pyelonephritis and pyonephrosis. Severe obstruction caused by bilateral upper urinary tract stones can lead to uremia in patients.

The typical symptoms of bladder stones are sudden interruption of urination, pain radiating to the distal urethra and glans penis, accompanied by difficulty urinating and bladder irritation symptoms. Most gallstones have no clinical symptoms. The typical symptom of gallstones is biliary colic, and some may also present as cholecystitis attacks. Some patients may present with Mirrizzi syndrome (cholecystitis, obstructive jaundice, cholangitis). If the stones are discharged into the bile duct, they can cause bile duct stones. Patients with bile duct stones may have no clinical symptoms or may present with abdominal pain and jaundice. If bile duct infection is present, symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain and jaundice. In severe cases, shock and mental and neurological symptoms may occur. Some gallstones may also cause an attack of biliary pancreatitis.

Treatment

The treatment methods for stones in different parts of the body are not the same. The treatment plan for stones in the same part of the body should be decided comprehensively based on factors such as the size of the stone and the patient's general condition. The following introduces the treatment principles of gallbladder stones using gallbladder stones as an example. Symptomatic gallstones are recommended for surgical treatment. Asymptomatic gallstones should also be considered for the following conditions:

1. Stone diameter ≥ 3 cm;

2. Accompanied by gallbladder polyps > 1 cm;

3. Thickening of gallbladder wall, calcification or porcelain gallbladder;

4. Gallstones have been found for more than 10 years;

5. Patients with diabetes mellitus and cardiopulmonary dysfunction;

6. Gallstones in children;

7. Workers in remote or underdeveloped areas or in the field;

8. The combination requires laparotomy.