Should kidney stones be treated even when there are no symptoms?

There are a number of reasons to treat a kidney stone even if it is not causing any painful symptoms. These include the following conditions:

     • Recurring urinary tract infections - Some kidney stones may be infected, and in many cases, despite proper antibiotic treatment, the infection cannot be cleared from the stone. In such cases, the only way to remove the infection completely is to remove the stone completely.

     • Staghorn stones - These are extremely large stones that grow to fill the inside of the kidney. There are serious health risks associated with these stones and left untreated, they are associated with an increased risk of kidney failure.

     • Occupational requirements - There are some occupations, like pilot, that do not allow for the unplanned passage of a kidney stone.

     • Extensive travel - If you are planning to travel to locales where medical care is not reliable - or if you don’t want your trip interrupted - you may wish to consider preventive treatment.

     • Patient preference - After thorough consideration of all options available to them, many patients elect to remove their stones at a time when it is convenient for them.