Kidney Stones Specialist
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Kiavash Nikkhou, MD
Board Certified Urologist & Kidney Stone Specialist located in Thousand Oaks, CA
More than 10% of people have kidney stones today. Skilled board-certified urologist Kiavash Nikkhou, MD, understands the severe pain kidney stones cause, and he offers fast medical and surgical solutions. If you’re suffering and need kidney stone surgery, Dr. Nikkhou makes sure you have only a short wait time. For quick kidney stone help, book an appointment online or call the Thousand Oaks, California, office.
Kidney Stones Q & A
What are kidney stones?
Kidney stones are mineral and salt deposits that form inside your kidneys. There are several types of kidney stones, including:
- Calcium - 80% of kidney stones
- Uric acid - 5-10% of kidney stones
- Struvite - 10% of stones
- Cystine - less than 1% of stones
Kidney stones can be as little as 1mm or large enough to fill your kidney. They may cause a variety of serious problems, including sharp pain, so they require immediate medical attention.
What are the symptoms of kidney stones?
Kidney stones don’t always cause symptoms, but you may experience:
- Severe flank (side) pain
- Lower abdominal pain that shoots down to your groin
- Blood in your urine (hematuria), which may not be visible
- Urinary tract infection
- Intense urinary urgency
- More frequent urination
- Burning sensation when you urinate
- Nausea and vomiting
Men might also experience pain at the end of their penis with kidney stones.
What causes kidney stones?
There are several leading causes of kidney stones, with the most common one being inadequate hydration. Other possible causes include metabolic disturbances, urinary tract obstructions, and a family history of kidney stones (genetic predisposition).
Many people with kidney stones assume that their stones developed because of something they ate or drank.
Studies show that cola, tea, coffee, and calcium supplements don’t cause kidney stones. Some analyses consistently demonstrated an inverse effect, meaning that ingesting caffeinated drinks like coffee reduces kidney stone risk.
How are kidney stones treated?
Dr. Nikkhou personalizes your kidney stone treatment recommendations based on the type, size, and location of the stone. He also factors other urinary problems into your treatment plan. For example, with a urinary tract obstruction, you might need a short-term stent to restore urine drainage before starting the treatment.
Dr. Nikkhou offers a range of non-surgical, in-office, and surgical kidney stone treatments.
Trial of passage
In some cases, a watch-and-wait approach (around 4-6 weeks) might allow natural passage of the kidney stone in your urine.
Medication
Dr. Nikkhou may recommend medication to help you eliminate your kidney stone through urination. Alpha-blockers can open your ureter by temporarily weakening its muscles. The muscle weakness allows you to pass the stone more easily.
For certain types of stones, you may need another medication as well, such as a drug to reduce your uric acid if you have uric acid stones.
Surgery
Dr. Nikkhou offers various surgical options for kidney stones, including shockwave lithotripsy, ureteroscopy with laser lithotripsy, laparoscopic surgery, open stone surgery, and percutaneous nephrolithotomy. He recommends the most conservative surgical approach possible based on the stone type, size, and orientation.
If you have kidney stone symptoms and need quick relief, Dr. Nikkhou sympathizes with your pain. He schedules kidney stone surgery on a priority basis, so you don’t have to suffer any longer.
Call Kiavash Nikkhou, MD, or schedule an appointment online for kidney stone help today.
