[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.bergenmed.com\/bergen-medical-associates-minimally-invasive-kidney-stone-treatment\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.bergenmed.com\/bergen-medical-associates-minimally-invasive-kidney-stone-treatment\/","headline":"Bergen Medical Associates provides minimally invasive kidney stone treatment","name":"Bergen Medical Associates provides minimally invasive kidney stone treatment","description":"When it comes to the best in minimally invasive kidney stone treatment, Bergen Medical Associates leaves no stone unturned If you\u2019ve never struggled with a kidney stone condition, there\u2019s a good chance you know someone who has. More than half a million people end up in the emergency room for kidney stone problems every year","datePublished":"2022-12-01","dateModified":"2025-07-02","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.bergenmed.com\/author\/apolizzotto\/#Person","name":"Andrew Polizzotto","url":"https:\/\/www.bergenmed.com\/author\/apolizzotto\/","identifier":5,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/09bb894bdbe3528994a51facef0e26934a802971f06f03c4ac9e56eb8811ceea?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/09bb894bdbe3528994a51facef0e26934a802971f06f03c4ac9e56eb8811ceea?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Bergen Medical Associates","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.bergenmed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/bma-logo-2.png","url":"https:\/\/www.bergenmed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/bma-logo-2.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.bergenmed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/richard-garden-300x188.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.bergenmed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/richard-garden-300x188.jpg","height":"188","width":"300"},"url":"https:\/\/www.bergenmed.com\/bergen-medical-associates-minimally-invasive-kidney-stone-treatment\/","about":["News"],"wordCount":973,"articleBody":"When it comes to the best in minimally invasive kidney stone treatment, Bergen Medical Associates leaves no stone unturnedIf you\u2019ve never struggled with a kidney stone condition, there\u2019s a good chance you know someone who has. More than half a million people end up in the emergency room for kidney stone problems every year and an estimated\u00a0one in 10 Americans will\u00a0experience a kidney stone\u00a0in their lifetime, according to the National Kidney Foundation.Richard Garden, MD, board-certified urologist and director of the Division of Urology for Bergen Medical Associates, which has six offices throughout Bergen CountyRichard Garden, MD, board-certified urologist and director of the Division of Urology at Bergen Medical Associates, which has six offices throughout Bergen County, discusses kidney stones, including how and why they form, symptoms of kidney stones and how they\u2019re treated.\u201cKidney stones are hard stones ranging in size from grains of sand or pebbles to significant-sized rocks that form in the kidneys, ureters and other parts of the urinary tract,\u201d Dr. Garden said. \u201cThey\u2019re caused by high levels of certain minerals in the urine, whether that be excessive uric acid, magnesium and ammonia, or calcium, the most common cause of kidney stone formation.\u201dWhile you\u2019ve likely heard of kidney stones being painful to deal with, people with the condition do not experience the same symptoms. \u201cThere\u2019s no one single presentation and in my over 30 years in practice, I\u2019ve seen many patients who are unaware that they have kidney stones that are causing harm to their system,\u201d Dr. Garden said. \u201cOthers experience severe pain. While some stones can sit in the kidney out of harm\u2019s way for months or even years, stones can become painful if they move and get into the body\u2019s narrow drainage system (ureters); then urine has no place to go and the kidney can get blocked and swollen.\u201cThis can cause unrelenting pain anywhere from the abdomen to the groin and can also be associated with nausea and vomiting, pain in the testicles for men, feelings of having to urinate more frequently or with greater urgency (often mimicking a urinary tract infection), and blood in the urine,\u201d he said. \u201cNo matter how they position themselves, individuals often can\u2019t get comfortable or experience relief until they get pain medication or the stone moves a bit.Just as the symptoms differ, the causes of kidney stones also are not all the same. \u201cFrom diet and genetics to environmental factors, co-existing medical issues and more, there\u2019s no one singular cause of all stones and multiple factors can lead to stone formation,\u201d Dr. Garden said. \u201cOne common cause is lack of adequate hydration \u2014 when there\u2019s not a lot of urine, it can become a very concentrated solution that allows minerals to develop into crystals, which ultimately attract other crystals and form into stones.\u201cIn other people, too much animal protein, calcium oxalate (found in foods like beets, spinach, nuts and tea), or salt in the diet can lead to the formation of stones. In addition, individuals taking diuretics or possessing such medical issues as inflammatory bowel disease, gout or excess parathyroid hormone in their system can be at greater risk for developing kidney stones,\u201d he said. \u201cAs urologists, we need to look at all of these factors along with the type of stone to try to identify the specific cause(s) in each individual that led to the development of their kidney stone(s).\u201dRegarding the treatment of kidney stones, Dr. Garden noted that every patient is unique and, all things being equal, the best treatment is no treatment in the sense that the patient is able to pass the kidney stone on their own. \u201cHowever, the bigger the stone is, the less likely it will be able to pass through the small-diameter ureters,\u201d he said. \u201cDecades ago, we used to do surgery to remove larger stones from patients who were in a lot of pain, but we rarely do that now. Today, we use minimally invasive techniques designed to preserve the integrity of the urinary system, often taking a bigger stone and breaking it into smaller fragments that we can remove with special instruments or that are small enough to pass on their own.\u201cAmong the common techniques we use are shock-wave lithotripsy, which uses high-energy shock waves outside the body to break up the stone, or ureteroscopy with laser lithotripsy, which applies a laser beam directly to the stone to break it into small pieces,\u201d he said. \u201cThese same-day procedures are typically very effective and have minimal side effects.\u201dWhile some studies show that if those who have had a kidney stone in their life have a 30% to 60% chance of getting another one at some point, there are things people can do to minimize their risk. \u201cAmong them, staying well-hydrated is key and water is by far the best source of hydration,\u201d Dr. Garden said. Sodas, teas and juices sometimes create minerals that predispose people to kidney stones; therefore, water is the optimal choice. \u201cIn some cases, adding lemon juice to water can help change the pH in your system and limit the development of certain types of stones,\u201d he said. \u201cA good, balanced diet in moderation is also beneficial. However, should anyone need medical intervention for a kidney stone, our team at Bergen Medical Associates takes pride in helping our patients and delivering the best possible results.\u201dWith offices in Emerson, Paramus (two), Ridgewood, Northvale and Montvale, Bergen Medical Associates offers primary care and 12 areas of specialized care, providing patients locations where many medical services are available in one place. The multispecialty group fosters an environment of collaboration among the physicians, which results in a seamless continuum of care for patients. For more information, contact us today or call\u00a0201-967-8221."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Bergen Medical Associates provides minimally invasive kidney stone treatment","item":"https:\/\/www.bergenmed.com\/bergen-medical-associates-minimally-invasive-kidney-stone-treatment\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]