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Treatment of Bladder stones

Bladder stones usually need to be broken down in order to flush them out of the body. This is either done during cystoscopy, or by using a form of sound energy known as lithotripsy.

Lithotripsy is usually carried out in hospital, and uses high-energy sound waves to break bladder stones down into smaller fragments. These fragments are then small enough to be emptied in the urine. Painkillers are sometimes given before the procedure as there may be some discomfort, and the abdomen is likely to feel tender after treatment. You may also have blood in your urine, but serious complications are uncommon.

Lithotripsy prevents the need for surgery, which is only necessary if the stones are very large.

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