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Trishna Patel’s Monster Kidney Stone Was Life-Threatening
Similarly, as fears over Covid were warming up last February, Trishna Patel thought she had a terrible cold or seasonal influenza. She attempted to brave her fever and chills, yet a companion was stressed over how frail she was and took her to earnest consideration. "When I arrived, I had a seizure. The EMT said I was dried out and let me know I expected to go to the trauma center," says Patel.
The trauma center specialist quickly determined Patel was experiencing serious sepsis. "He said if I'd stood by any more, it could have been exceptionally awful," she recalls.
It wasn't immediately apparent what was causing the massive infection, but a CT scan revealed a very large kidney stone in Patel's right kidney. The stone was obstructing the flow of urine, which caused a urinary tract infection that led to sepsis.
"The RN looked at me and asked, 'Are you sure you're not in any pain? We think you have a really large kidney stone, and it seems like you'd be in pain, but you're not.' I said, 'No, zero pain.' I'd had a kidney stone when I was in eighth grade, and the pain was excruciating then, but I felt fine by the time I got to the hospital. This stone was such an anomaly. What brought me to the hospital was the sepsis, not the stone itself."
The Man with a Plan
Patel underwent emergency surgery to have a stent placed in her kidney to open up her urinary tract. During her multi-day stay in the hospital, Keith Blossom, MD, a kidney stone specialist with Urology Partners of North Texas, visited her to discuss a plan for removing the giant stone. Patel says she felt comfortable with Dr. Blossom immediately.
"Being able to ask questions and hear his assurances really helped me," she adds. "He answered all my questions and explained everything in a way I could understand."
Patel also appreciated that Dr. Blossom addressed questions from her loved ones. "He was really open and didn't make me feel like he was rushing to the next patient."
Once Patel's infection had cleared, Dr. Blossom had a plan for getting rid of the stone. "Trishna's large calcium-based stone had likely been growing for years in her kidney but not blocking the flow of urine," Dr. Blossom notes. "So, she experienced no pain. When a stone suddenly moves into a position that blocks the flow of urine—combined with a urinary tract infection—sepsis can occur, and that is what happened with Trishna."
Shock Waves Crush Stones
Dr. Blossom recommended a non-invasive treatment option, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (also known as ESWL or lithotripsy). Guided by X-rays, a machine called a lithotripter uses mild shock waves to penetrate the body and break the stone into small parts the body can easily pass. With ESWL, there aren't any cuts. Patients recover quickly and can resume their normal activities within a few days.
"Trishna's stone was on the large side, so it was best to start with a shock wave lithotripsy," Dr. Blossom explains. "Lithotripsy caused the stone to crumble into smaller, more manageable pieces."
A month after Patel was released from the hospital, she underwent ESWL with Dr. Blossom. Because her stone was unusually large, two treatment sessions were required.
"After the initial shock wave treatment, we were able to look inside Trishna's kidney through her bladder, a procedure called ureteroscopy," says Dr. Blossom. "While the initial ESWL treated most of her stone, there were a few remaining pieces. The ureteroscopy—which requires no incisions—allowed us to clean up the area and remove those parts."
During the second lithotripsy, Dr. Blossom also replaced the uncomfortable stent Patel received during her emergency surgery as a precaution. She wore it for a week to ensure the kidney was functioning properly and inflammation wasn't an issue.
"Both procedures went really well," Patel says. "I was under general anesthesia both times and felt nothing. Throughout the entire process, Dr. Blossom, the surgical team, and his office staff were amazing. My mother was so impressed, too. She's usually quite wary, but she was very impressed with everything and everyone involved throughout the entire process."
The Road to Recovery
Patel experienced some soreness and fatigue for a few days after her procedure, but she credits much of that to her recovery from sepsis and the temporary stent she had to wear for a while.
"Dr. Blossom did an ultrasound at my first follow-up visit with him and found there was a bit of inflammation, but my kidney is healing quite well," Patel adds. Her six-month follow-up appointment is coming up soon, and she looks forward to getting the results of her blood tests and talking with Dr. Blossom about ways she can help avoid kidney stones in her future.
"I was happy to help Trishna get back to better health and back to work," says Dr. Blossom. "At Urology Partners of North Texas, our kidney stone specialists are focused on delivering swift relief to our stone patients. We don't want anyone to struggle with painful kidney stones."
Do you suffer from kidney stones?
Dr. Blossom and the experienced kidney stone specialists at Urology Partners of North Texas can help you live pain-free. Call us at 866-367-8768 or <a href="#">schedule an online appointment</a>.