Kidney stones do not necessarily have to be operated, and the need for surgery should be decided according to the location and size of the stones.
1. For kidney stones with a diameter of less than 0.6cm, these patients can be treated conservatively and generally do not need to undergo surgery. If there is no contraindication, these patients can drink more water to dilute the urine, and try to maintain the daily urine output at 2,000 ml to 3,000 ml. At the same time, they can be treated with stone-removing medications, such as acetylcysteine, tamsulosin, and so on.
2. For kidney stones with a diameter of more than 0.6cm, the effect of conservative treatment is not good at this time, and these patients need to undergo surgical treatment. Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy can be done for kidney stones with a diameter of ≤2cm or upper ureteral stones; percutaneous nephrolithotripsy can be done for kidney stones larger than 2cm; ureteroscopic lithotripsy can be done for kidney stones with a diameter of <2cm.
Therefore, it is recommended that patients with kidney stones go to regular hospitals in time, and patients can choose the suitable treatment for themselves according to their own conditions and under the guidance of doctors, so as to strive for a speedy recovery.