Treatments – Kidney
Kidney & Ureter Treatments
At South Coast Urology we will ensure you get to discuss the most appropriate treatment options with one of our 7 expert surgeons who regularly treat your condition. Most tumours will require intervention and most stones or kidney drainage problems will often require some form of intervention, but this will depend on your symptoms and overall fitness.
PUJO or Hydronephrosis
This is a condition that individuals may be born with or acquire through their lifetime. It describes an abnormality of the join between the renal pelvis (where urine collects in the kidney) and the upper ureter, typically resulting in more fluid upstream (hydronephrosis). For some patients this is an incidental finding on a scan, but for others it can be quite painful. The classic symptoms are pain brought on by increased fluid intake and can mimick renal colic.
Most patients require a detailed CT scan in addition to a nuclear medicine scan (MAG3 renogram) to confirm the diagnosis. Some require a telescopic inspection of the ureter and kidney to provide more information. Following the tests one of the SCU surgeons would discuss your options. Occasionally the tests are equivocal and a temporary stent may be suggested as a minor procedure to try and establish whether your symptoms are genuinely from the kidney, before embarking on more complex surgery.
Renal Tumours
The majority require an operation to remove or ablate (kill) them. Occasionally small tumours can be safely watched for a time rather than immediately treated. At SCU we have extensive experience in diagnosis and all possible treatments, including laparoscopic and robotic (keyhole) or open surgery for radical and partial nephrectomy. We also provide cryoablation for smaller renal tumours utilizing our world reknown interventional radiology service. Our subspecialised practice allows us to provide an expert opinion on the best suitable options for each patient. This starts with expert interrogation of imaging by our uro-radiologists (doctors who specialise in scanning of the urinary tract) and then an expert opinion based on the size and position of a tumour, taking account of previous medical history and the individual patient’s preferences.
Our surgeons subspecialise which means the majority of the kidney tumours seen at SCU are dealt with by minimally invasive methods. Our expertise allows us to remove bigger tumours compared with average in the UK, without resorting to open surgery.
Ureteric Tumour
These tumours are relatively unusual findings. They may turn up on investigations for blood in the urine or can be an incidental finding on a scan. They usually cause a degree of blockage (hydronephrosis) or a reduction in renal function and occasionally pain. Tumours of other surrounding organs such as ovary, bowel or prostate can cause the same problems / symptoms.
Ureteric Stones
Ureteric stones usually cause a lot of pain (renal colic). Small stones (<5mm) may pass through without intervention, but larger ones are likely to require intervention. A temporary ureteric stent will help temporise the situation but a subsequent treatment such as ureteroscopy and laser to break the stone or external shock wave therapy may be required.
Get in touch
Tel: 02380 764389
email: info@southcoasturology.co.uk