Ureteral stones are often combined with severe renal colic, and many patients are concerned about the conditions under which urinary stones can be treated with medication for stone removal, and the conditions under which other treatments or even surgery are needed According to the actual situation of the country, the Chinese Medical Association Urology Branch has also formulated relevant guidelines, so specifically, which ureteral stones can choose conservative treatment? There are several criteria: 1. stone size: less than 6mm can try conservative treatment; 2. smooth stones: stones with smooth morphology have a high chance of discharge; 3. patency of the distal end of the stone: apart from the stone blockage, there should be no other factors causing blockage of the urinary tract, such as ureteral stricture, prostatic hyperplasia, etc.; 4. blockage time: the longer the ureteral blockage time, the stronger the adhesion between the stone and the ureter. The longer the ureter is blocked, the heavier the adhesion between the stone and the ureter, the more damage to the kidney function, therefore, the time of stone blockage should not be too long, preferably not more than two weeks. In addition, for some special cases (like stones of special composition suitable for treatment with medication, or small fragmented stones after surgery), conservative treatment can be used at the doctor’s discretion and monitoring. If your doctor recommends stone removal treatment based on your condition, what are the usual methods of conservative treatment of stones? 1. Drink a lot of water: Make sure to drink enough water and enough urine every day! The self-cleaning effect of urine helps to reduce the chance of infection, and the peristaltic movement of the ureter can also promote the downward movement of stones and even their discharge. How much should I drink a day? It is advisable to maintain a daily urine volume of 2500ml or more. In addition, it is also a very good choice if you drink water with moneywort and plantain. Local patients are very familiar and friendly with these two herbs. In addition, you should be reminded not to concentrate your water intake only during the day, you can also drink moderate amounts of water at night before going to bed (patients with heart failure, renal insufficiency, etc. who need to limit their water intake need to choose a reasonable amount of water under the guidance of a doctor) 2. analgesic and anti-inflammatory: ureteral stones often mean pain, and this pain is extremely intense and recurrent, the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is the best analgesic and anti-inflammatory The use of NSAIDs is the best choice for analgesia and anti-inflammation. 3. Dilatation of ureter: When the ureter is relaxed, the stones are naturally expelled much faster. There are two major types of drugs commonly used, one is alpha-blockers, the most commonly used is tamsulosin, the domestic trade name Halle, may usually be familiar with this drug is used to treat urinary dysfunction, but a large number of studies have proved that tamsulosin also has a very good effect on relaxing the ureter; the second is calcium channel antagonists, in the cardiovascular department is a very commonly used drugs. 4, Chinese medicine: many traditional Chinese medicine for stone drainage is a good adjunct to the market, there are also a lot of Chinese medicine to clear heat and dampness, laxative and stone drainage. Passing is not painful! 5. Exercise! The use of gravity to promote the discharge of stones, patients are often advised to do exercises such as jumping rope, jumping exercises, and lifting the heel repeatedly for tiptoe activities. Do this several times a day, as many times as you can. Don’t be afraid of hard work, it’s good for the body. 6. In addition, if you have had stones before and have had them analyzed, or if the approximate composition of the stones has been deduced, you can also choose special medication to adjust the pH of the urine to be acidic or alkaline (cystine stones) according to the type of stones. If the ureteral stones are not discharged after conservative treatment, the treatment plan should be adjusted to prevent complications such as renal impairment by surgery if necessary. (Minimally invasive treatment methods such as ureteroscopy, ureteral flexible or percutaneous nephroscopy and laparoscopy have now become the main modality of surgical treatment of ureteral stones without incision, with the advantages of less trauma and faster recovery)