Kidney Surgery

Since I was 13, I have suffered with kidney problems. whether it be stones, infections, random pains, there is always something going on with my kidney. In 2009, I had a lithotripsy procedure done at Mckay Dee Hospital in Ogden, Utah. There used ultrasonic waves to break up a 12 MM stone. For those of you who are not good at converting numbers, that is about half of an inch. The procedure was done on my left kidney, and I was able to go home the same day. I did not have insurance so the surgery was paid for out of pocket.

Two years later, in January of 2012, i was rushed into the emergency room with extreme kidney pain, and was asked to follow up with Dr. Putman, a urologist at IMC in Murray. My creatinine was high, and my kidney function was low. At my follow up, they told me I had a stone, the size of a large grape (2-3 inches) that had attached itself to the lining of my kidney. they told me it has been there since 2007, and no one has told me about it before this date. Now, I have insurance, and suddenly they think they should take it out. Because they let it grow for five years, it is too large to perform the same lithotripsy procedure, and they must do a nephrolithotomy. this is a procedure where they make an incision through your back, generally below your lowest rib, and remove the stone. The kidney is filled with fluid and then drained through a nephrostomy tube, which is left in your back for a few days after the surgery. This tube is also used to drain any additional stones or fragments that are left over. When the tube is removed, the skin will heal itself naturally, usually within 1-2 weeks.

With my surgery, almost all of this was normal, and there were no real problems. However, when Dr. Putman entered my kidney, he did not realize how much the stone had grown into the tissue of my kidney. When the kidney was filled with fluid, which they also did to try and break the stone free from the kidney, there was hardly any kidney tissue left, and my kidney ruptured. This sounds more frightening than it is, but it made me, my family, and especially dr. putman nervous for a moment. He was able to drain all the extra fluid, and remove the entire stone. A CT scan will later show that there was not a single fragment left behind. The ruptured kidney will heal itself and no additional stitches are necessary. It did however making the healing process feel extremely slow and painful. I had a two night, three day stay in the hospital, and was able to come home with no nephrostomy tube.

Since then, my incision is completely healed, other than a little scar tissue. I had a bad reaction to the medical tape that was used to dress my incision, so the surrounding skin on my back was raw for about a week, and that is still healing. Other than a few minor back spasms due to healing back muscles, i feel completely like myself again. before the surgery, i could not even have a beer watching football without feeling pain for the rest of the day. Last night, for the first time since I turned 21, i was able to have drinks with friends, feel no pain that night, and woke up today feeling great as well! I am so excited to move forward with a more healthy lifestyle and to feel great from here on out. They doctor was able to analyze the acid based stone, and prescribed a medication that will prevent and dissolve them in the future. :)