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Kidney stone breakthrough procedure at UW called 'game changer' for patients

https://komonews.com/news/local/uw-medicine-kidney-stone-breakthrough-procedure-treatment-nasa-mars-astronaut-research-patients-game-changer-seattle-clinical-trial-harborview-medical-center

A groundbreaking medical procedure for those with kidney stones will soon be offered at the University of Washington after more than two decades of research.

Kidney stone breakthrough procedure at UW called 'game changer' for patients

25 comments

dmtalon

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As a fellow Kidney Stone Alumni, I approve of this treatment. I got the unfortunate opportunity to discover I'm mostly immune to Morphine during this event. I learned this while in the fetal position on the floor of a small room off the ER at the local Hospital.

Fun times... This was when I was 26, and now at double that age, I still 'perk up' if i get a cramp in my Kidney. That doesn't happen very often, but I do know exactly where my kidney is, and if I get a pain there I quickly start thinking... Oh no, please no!

janus2

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hi fellow kidney stone survivor who also discovered they're a morphine non-responder :'D i also have the unique statistical blessing of not responding to codeine or hydrocodone.

we were destined to suffer.

i had a second kidney stone and learned that people who have had one are much more likely to have another within 10 years. [cries into my emotional support water bottle]

Bricriu

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I had one every 3 years or so, progressively worse. Been 5 years since my last one after changing my lifestyle to drink more (so much more) water and stop taking Tums all the time.

ikidd

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Tums should be outlawed. The amount of damage those things do to stomach chemistry and excessive calcium uptake is crazy for something people eat like candy (and that they flavor like candy). They're like beating with a sledgehammer compared to a proton pump inhibitor.

I weaned myself off Tums and the instances of having to actually treat heartburn/gerd went down to a couple times a month at most.

dmtalon

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I'm hoping that now, after 26 years, I'm in the clear! But as I already said, I know exactly where my kidney is, and if it makes a cramp I start sweating!

makyo

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Wait that really is a thing? I broke my arm as a kid and I swore I remembered them giving me morphine and it didn't do anything. But I always thought I'd dreamed it up or something.

Bricriu

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Ask for Dilaudid next time. Morphine did nothing for me but dilaudid was instant relief (and loopiness)

dmtalon

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They wouldn't give me anything stronger until I was admitted. I was given Dilaudid once I got a room and then I left the room (mentally) :)

haulyard

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These stories scare me! I’ve fortunately not had to deal with them, but are there dietary things that can be done to reduce the chance, or is it genetic and you’re just stuck with them?

dmtalon

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Yes, and no... My Kidney stone, and later introduction to "Gout", or in my case pseudo Gout were calcium not uric acid related. Generally speaking Kidney Stones/Gout are attributed to dietary lifestyle.

It appears that my genetics/bloodline has a weird thing where around the mid 20's we get Kidney Stones and/or Gout. My father had a single incident of Kidney stone when he was in his mid 20's. I have a couple uncles who also did. I'm not 100% sure on them also having 'Gout'. At any rate, I had this pseudo gout a handful of times over the next couple years, but so far only the single kidney stone.

Fonderthud

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Both! Best advice since there's a couple different types of stones is to drink more water.

FaceDeer

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Wow, I hadn't considered the risk of something like a kidney stone happening in space, where there's zero chance of medical help. That'd be agonizing.

janus2

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and potentially lethal 😬

TheFonz

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This article is very lax on details. Using sound to break up kidney stones has been around for a while, so it's unclear what this "new" technology entails.

oDDmON

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Could have used this last month, myself. Fuckers are painful.

janus2

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people who have experienced both childbirth and a kidney stone often say the latter is worse. 💀

zib

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That's interesting, I've actually had lithotripsy before, something like 14 years ago. Not sure how it differs from what the article is talking about, but they did anesthetize me prior to the procedure. It might have just been a precaution at the time since I was only out for about a half hour. Overall, it was a painless experience to be rid of that stone. Shame I couldn't have gotten rid of any other stones like that. They are truly a miserable experience, but they did encourage me to fix my diet to reduce my risk.

TheFonz

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Yeah this article doesn't say anything at all about the technology.

sharkfucker420

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As someone who produces kidney stones chronically. Hell yeah

jherazob

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Since the link provided so little info, i did a search and UW has a page on the procedure with some more info

108

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Fantastic news if it works

JackLSauce

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Right now, this technology is only available through clinical trials, but according to UW Medicine, it may be available to be used on patients in a regular office setting within the next year or so.

Not that cautious optimism is ever unwarranted but that combined with successful human trials is great news for the odds of a treatment coming to market

KnightontheSun

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Probably not in time for this 4mm baby I have waiting to drop.

someguy3

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burst wave lithotripsy uses an ultrasound wand and soundwaves to break apart the kidney stone.

Ultrasonic propulsion is then used to move the stone fragments out, potentially giving patients relief in 10 minutes or less.

spudwart

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Monster Drinkers rejoice.