Kidney Stones

Tracy went in for another kidney stone procedure this morning and everything went well. She had three stones that required attention. The plan was to go in and pull them out, but the stones had shifted into a position that made this too dangerous. Instead, a Lithotripsy was performed to break the two smaller stones up. The doctor reported that the two stones were fragmented and she should be able to pass the 'sand' that remains. The largest stone had unfortunately migrated out of the target area and was not treated. This means that the larger stone will have to be dealt with at a later date. This is not as bad as it sounds because the two smaller stones were the cause of all the recent pain anyway. The large one, about 1cm wide, tends to move much less than the smaller ones and is not of immediate concern.

Her normal doctor transferred responsibility for the procedure to the senior partner in his practice in order to attend a Thanksgiving function for his son. I bring this up because the Urologist that performed the procedure today was Dr. James Stehn. He is nationally known as the doctor that reattached John Wayne Bobbit's penis when it was severed by his wife Lorena in 1993.

Because there was no invasive procedure to remove the stones, Tracy is fine. The remains of the two stones pulverized today will be passed and the blood in her urine attests to this already. She just tired and in a lot of pain from the 'sand' that she will have to flush over the next few days.