After treatment is complete, the patient can move about almost at once. Many people can fully resume daily activities within one to two days. Special diets are not required, but drinking plenty of water helps the stone fragments pass. Some pain may occur when the fragments pass, which begins soon after treatment and may last for up to four to eight weeks. Oral pain medications and drinking lots of water will help relieve the symptoms.
Most patients have some blood in the urine for a few days.
The shattered stone fragments may cause discomfort as they pass through the urinary tract. Using a device called a cystoscope, the doctor may place a small tube called a stent through the bladder and into the ureter to help the fragments pass. This procedure may require anesthesia, especially in men. Sometimes, the stone is not completely shattered, and additional treatments may be needed. The size, number, location and composition of the stones are factors that must be taken into account when exploring treatment options.