Kidney Stone Treatment in Israel

Causes & Symptoms

Renal stones form due to salt deposits in the kidneys and/or elevated calcium or uric acid blood levels. Usually, the first symptom is an acute jagging pain in the back (in the area of the affected kidney) or in the lower abdomen. The pain might also spread into the inguinal area and be joined by nausea and vomiting. Painful urination and foul-smelling cloudy urine are also common. If you experience these symptoms you may require kidney stone treatment.

As there are different methods of treating kidney stones, the final cost of the treatment will only be determined at the end of the work-up stage.

Work-up

• Extensive blood work-up
• US of urinary tract
• Abdominal CT (renal stone protocol)
• Consultation of urologist, who specializes in lithotripsy

These will take 2 business days to complete.

Depending on the findings, you will be referred for one of the following procedures:

Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL)

This minimally invasive therapy is performed on an outpatient basis. Its exact price will depend on the number of stones that need to be fragmented and will include the following:

• Preoperative preparation (ECG, chest X-ray and an anesthesiologist’s consultation)
• Aforementioned procedure
• Disposable surgical materials and equipment

You will have a follow-up consultation with your treating urologist on postoperative day 5, after which you will be cleared to leave Israel.

Ureteroscopy with Laser Lithotripsy

Indicated in case of large and/or inaccessible stones that cannot be fragmented using shock waves.

Price of program includes:

• Preoperative preparation (ECG, chest X-ray and an anesthesiologist consultation)
• Operative procedure and 1 day of hospitalization
• Disposable surgical materials and equipment

You will be discharged with a stent in your urethra, which will be removed on postoperative day 7. At that point you will be cleared to leave Israel. No rehabilitation is needed following either of the aforementioned procedures.

Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy

This laparoscopic procedure is relatively rare, and is indicated in complicated cases, where transurethral access is problematic.

Price of treatment includes:

• Preoperative preparation (ECG, chest X-ray and an anesthesiologist consultation)
• Operative procedure and 2 days of hospitalization
• Disposable surgical materials and equipment

The aforementioned kidney stone treatment will take place at the state-of-the-art Assuta Medical Center in Tel Aviv. Please be advised that it is not possible to treat both kidneys at once, and you’ll have to wait between two weeks to a month before the second kidney can be treated. Thus, if bilateral kidney stones are detected during the work-up, your physician will treat the more severely affected kidney first.