The University of Chicago Hospitals and Health System is proud to announce the development of our new multi-disciplinary kidney stone management program. We offer both innovative surgical and medical treatments for patients who suffer from active stones and then set a course of long-term management for recovery and prevention. And, backed with the resources of the University of Chicago, our researchers are involved in the latest breakthroughs and discoveries for learning more about how to treat stones in the future. A kidney stone, or renal calculus, is a hard mass of mineral matter that is large enough to block the flow of urine from the kidney. Over time, obstructing stones can also result in significant kidney damage.
Nephrolithiasis is the medical term for the presence of stones in the kidney.
Kidney stones are composed of various salts or mineral crystal deposits and form on the inner surfaces of the kidney. The formation of kidney stones is actually a disease process, which occurs gradually over time. More than a million Americans are hospitalized each year for the treatment of stones. Kidney stones are most prevalent in people age 20 to 50, are more common in men, and are most prevalent in Caucasians. Most stones are formed and excreted singly.