Kidney stones
Disease Information
Tests
The first step in treating your child is forming an accurate and complete diagnosis.
Our doctors can tell if you child has a kidney stone by looking at his urinary tract with ultrasound or a CT scan.
Ultrasound is our first choice of diagnostic because there’s no radiation exposure. Our trained ultrasound technicians can often find the stone that’s causing your child trouble.
If the ultrasound is inconclusive — or if your child’s doctor has any questions about it — we might do a CT scan.
This is a non-invasive procedure that uses x-ray equipment and powerful computers to create detailed, cross-sectional images of your child's urinary tract. A CT scan can help your child’s doctor locate the exact position and size of the stone for surgical planning.
What should we expect during our visit to the Kidney Stone Center?
During your appointment, you and your child will meet with a pediatric urologist and a pediatric nephrologist for a physical exam and discussion of your child’s health, including a review of current prescribed and over-the-counter medications and a detailed history of your child’s diet and fluid intake.
- Please be sure to bring a detailed list of all of your child’s medications, including over-the-counter medications. If it’s more convenient, you may bring the medications themselves instead of making a list.
- If your child passes a stone, try to recover it, place it in a plastic bag and bring it to your appointment so that we can send it out for chemical analysis.
Several tests are also performed during the visit. These may include:
- analysis of urine to assess for factors that contribute to stone formation, such as increased levels of calcium in the urine
- blood tests to look for other risk factors
- chemical analysis of the stone (if it has passed or has been removed) to identify the type of stone. This can provide important clues about why it formed.
- evaluation for inherited disorders to look at risk factors (such as rare inherited disorders)
Once the tests are completed, you may be asked to return for a follow-up appointment.
How long does the appointment take?
Your first appointment usually takes two hours. If we need to perform diagnostic imaging as discussed above, it can add some time to your visit.
After we complete all necessary tests, our experts meet to review and discuss what they have learned about your child's condition. Then we will meet with you and your family to discuss the results and outline the best treatment options.
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