About Kidney Stones

Please use the drop down menu to read more about kidney stones or use the direct links below to the relevent pages. If you have any questions about kidney stones, then please don't hesitate to contact him via the Contact page. Please note he is unable to give individual medical advice by email and you would need to make an appointment to see him in that situation. 

History of kidney stone treatment

Stones in the urinary tract have been around for centuries and 'cutting for stone' was one of the first known surgical operations performed. In those days this was done without any anaesthetic, and the surgeons had to be very quick. This 'cutting for stone' was for bladder stones, and this was popularised in the 1700-1800's by surgeons such as William Cheselden and Sir Henry Thompson. 

In more modern times, bladder stones are now typically crushed via telescopes into the bladder (either using mechanical graspers/ crushers or lasers. For kidney and ureteric stones, until the 1970's very few options existed apart from open surgery - fortunately now of course under anaesthesia. This could mean a 30cm incision to remove a 1cm stone! The development of smaller telescopes for ureteroscopy, technology for shockwave lithotripsy and innovations such as percutaneously all came about at roughly the same time, and therefore revolutionised stone surgery to what it is today. For further information on the history of managing stones in the kidney and ureter, please see this website on the BAUS website virtual museaum: LINK to History of Managing Stones in Kidney and Ureter.