RIRS Versus ESWL for the Treatment of Renal Stones

The cases of renal stones or kidney stones have raised a lot. The problem mainly developed due to the deposit of minerals or salts in the kidney. The prime causes of kidney stones are following an unhealthy diet, obesity, and lots of medical conditions. Bladder to the kidney, different parts of the body can get affected via kidney stones. Before comparing RIRS versus. ESWL for the treatment of renal stones, it’s important to understand what ESWL and RIRS treatments are. Let’s have a look at it.

What is RIRS treatment? 

Renal stones can get removed with the help of RIRS treatment. RIRS surgery treatment, or Retrograde Intrarenal Surgery, will be one of the most effective ways to remove the renal stone. This is endoscopic surgery, and this treatment seems to be the latest method for kidney stones. This laser surgery comes with the latest technology and without any score on the patient’s body. The entire process of RIRS treatment depends on the size of the stone. The recovery time of RIRS is just one day. People can join in their regular activity after taking a day’s rest.

ESWL treatment

ESWL or Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy has been a popular treatment for kidney stones among doctors since 1980. This treatment made a revolution in kidney stone treatment which helps to break the kidney stones within the urinary system.

This non-invasive technology uses shock wave therapy by using x-rays and ultrasound. The stones in the kidney will get fragmented and can pass their own through urination. However, if stones develop in the pancreatic duct, they can get extracted using an endoscope.

RIRS vs ESWL- a comparison

RIRS is an advanced laser treatment, whereas ESWL is a shock wave therapy. Patients will not feel any pain during RIRS treatment, whereas patients will face mild pain during ESWL therapy.

According to experts, RIRS treatment is effective for kidney stones bigger than 2cm. However, doctors often suggest shock wave therapy or ESWL if the kidney stone size is smaller than 2 cm. Patients suffering from kidney stones can get the best suggestion and get in touch with Dr. Irfan Shaikh at Urolife Clinic, Pune.