You have the typical symptoms of a kidney stone: severe lower back pain, accompanied by nausea, vomiting, fever and chills, with difficulty urinating and even blood in the urine... You've read on Google that you might have a stone and you ask yourself: What do I do now? Where do I go? Who can help me? Sounds familiar, doesn't it?
Many professionals can intervene when you have a kidney stone, but who is the specialist? Who should you go to when you are in pain and don't know what's happening to you? How do you know you have a stone and want to remove it? Who needs to examine the stone to understand the causes of its formation? How can I prevent it? Read on and learn how to choose the best professional at each stage.
Who is the kidney stone specialist?
Let's start by learning who the specialist is!
Kidney stones are hard deposits of minerals and salts that form in the kidneys. Therefore, we should go to a kidney specialist. Easy!
And who is that? Well, in principle, it's the nephrologist, or could it be the urologist? Oops! This isn't so easy after all.
What are the differences between a urologist and a nephrologist?
The nephrologist is the clinical specialist, while the urologist is the surgical specialist. That is, the nephrologist is in charge of treating functional kidney disorders with medication and/or preventive measures, while the urologist is in charge of treating anatomical or structural disorders of the entire urinary system with surgery.
Therefore, the correct answer is that both are the specialists in charge of kidney stones. The urologist is responsible for removing it once it has formed, and the nephrologist is responsible for preventing another one from forming. At least that's in theory. But in practice, the urologist almost always ends up taking care of everything... Therefore, it's better to choose a good urologist who cares about more than just surgery, or you'll spend your whole life forming stones one after another.
Are all urologists the same?
No! And it's very important that you understand this if you want good results.
A urologist is a surgical doctor who is responsible for the treatment of all diseases of the urinary system and the male reproductive system. And there are many of them! From kidney transplant, cancer (kidney, prostate, bladder, penis, testicles), benign prostatic hyperplasia, urinary incontinence, urinary infections, erectile dysfunction, male infertility, premature ejaculation, sexually transmitted diseases,... to, of course, kidney stones.
Urologists know that you can't be good at everything, which is why the best ones super-specialize in certain diseases and surgical procedures. Specifically, the most common urology super-specialties (or subspecialties) are:
• Andrology; treats erectile, sexual, and male fertility disorders.
• Urological oncology; treats cancers of the urinary tract
• Functional urology; treats urinary incontinence, overactive bladder, infections.
• Pediatric urology; treats urinary tract diseases in babies and children
• Geriatric urology; treats urinary tract diseases in the elderly
• Kidney transplant.
• Urolithiasis; treats kidney stones
Therefore, when you have kidney stones, always look for a super-specialist in urolithiasis. Going to a functional, oncological, or andrologist urologist will not help you.
How do I know if my urologist has experience with kidney stones?
Many times it's not easy to know if your urologist has experience with kidney stones. We know! That's why we offer some tips below that can help you:
• Search for your urologist on portals like www.doctoralia.es or www.topdoctors.es. These portals show urologists closest to your location, their office hours, the insurance companies they work with, and their super-specialties. If your urologist has stated on their profile that they are a super-specialist in urolithiasis (or kidney stones), that's a good sign. But pay attention! It's very important that you also read their patients' reviews, especially reviews from those who have been treated for kidney stones by your urologist. If the reviews are not good, you might want to look for another urologist.
• Take a look at your urologist's CV. In the CV, you can find a lot of information about their field of experience. You can see if they have a doctorate from a university, if they have published articles in journals, if they have written book chapters, if they have participated as a speaker at Scientific Congresses, or if they have trained abroad in a specific super-specialty. If their professional career is always related to kidney stones, it is a magnificent sign that they are an expert in this area.
• If your urologist is not on any portal and you can't find their CV anywhere, a good tip would be to call their hospital and ask for the Urology Department. When you are connected to the Urology Department, ask the secretary for the name of the urologist who usually handles kidney stones. If your urologist is the one they name, you are on the right track.
What other professionals are involved?
As we saw at the beginning, the urologist is not the only healthcare professional involved in the treatment of patients with kidney stones. The nephrologist, primary care physician, emergency room doctor, anesthesiologist, nutritionist, biochemist, microbiologist, and nurse also participate. But who intervenes in each case and why are they important? We will answer this question next week.
In conclusion
The urologist is the medical specialist for kidney stones. But not all urologists are suitable. Always choose a urologist super-specialized in urolithiasis, with a good CV and good references from their previous patients.
If you would like us to recommend the best urologists in Spain who are experts in urolithiasis, you can contact our medical team by email at info@lit-control.es and we will try to help you.
