How to treat ureteral stones

  Ureteral stones can be treated by medication and surgery, and the treatment plan should be determined according to the location of ureteral stones, onset time, stone size and other factors.  Pharmacological stone removal treatment: stones with onset within half a month, smooth surface, diameter less than 0.5 cm, and no obvious obstruction below the stone can be treated with stone removal flush medication. Alpha blockers and calcium blockers also have the effect of soothing the smooth machine and promoting the discharge of kidney stones to the ureter to the bladder and out of the body. It is recommended to drink a lot of water, drinking more than 2000ml of water per day, the urine excreted will be more than 2000ml, effectively promoting the discharge of stones.  Drug lithotripsy: Only a small percentage of stones can be treated with drug lithotripsy. By changing the pH value of urine, it increases the solubility of stone minerals and reduces the size of stones as much as possible to achieve the purpose of clinical treatment, which is commonly used for pure uric acid stones and cystine stones. Uric acid stones can be treated with sodium bicarbonate, potassium hydrogen citrate, and acetazolamide, a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, to alkalinize the urine and dissolve uric acid stones. Uric acid stones can also be lysed by retrograde ureteral intubation with local instillation of alkaline drugs over the stone under close observation.  Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy: Most stones can be broken up and discharged by extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy. Stones in the upper or lower part of the ureter with a diameter of less than 1.5 cm can be lithotripsy by extracorporeal shock wave.  Ureteroscopic lithotripsy: currently the main minimally invasive treatment, which is most effective for stones with a long history, large stone volume, and various complex multiple stones, located in the middle and lower ureter.  Open surgery: basically eliminated at present, only for patients with urinary system deformities and unable to undergo minimally invasive treatment.  In summary, the treatment plan that should be used for ureteral stones depends on the specific situation of the stones and cannot be generalized.