How big must a bladder stone be to require surgery?

Written by Zeng Zhong
Urology
Updated on September 12, 2024
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Bladder stones are a common type of urinary system calculus. Generally, stones with a diameter greater than 1.5 centimeters require surgical treatment. Currently, minimally invasive surgery is performed, which is transurethral ureteroscopic holmium laser lithotripsy. This involves inserting a ureteroscope through the urethra into the bladder, locating the bladder stones under direct vision, and using a holmium laser fiber to fragment them, while simultaneously extracting the broken pieces.

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Written by Zeng Zhong
Urology
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Are bladder stones easy to pass?

Patients with bladder stones, if the stones are less than 0.5 cm in size, can promote the natural expulsion of the stones by drinking more water and urinating frequently. If the stones are larger, over 0.5 cm in size, treatment may require extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy or surgery. For patients undergoing extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, generally, if the stones are between 0.5-1.5 cm in size, this treatment can be performed. After the treatment, it is also necessary to drink more water and urinate frequently to facilitate the expulsion of the stones. For larger stones, over 1.5 cm, surgical treatment is required.

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Written by Zeng Zhong
Urology
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How to effectively treat bladder stones?

The treatment of bladder stones should be based on the specific size and volume of the stones in the patient. For bladder stones smaller than 1.5 centimeters, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy can be used. After the treatment, the patient should drink plenty of water and urinate frequently at home to facilitate the expulsion of the stones. One week later, the patient should return to the hospital for a follow-up ultrasound to observe the condition of the stone expulsion. For bladder stones larger than 1.5 centimeters, surgery is often required.

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Written by Zeng Zhong
Urology
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Is bladder calculus severe?

Bladder stones are not a particularly serious disease. Bladder stones are a common disease in the urinary system, mainly caused by the migration of kidney stones down the ureters into the bladder. Another scenario is that obstructions in the urinary tract prevent urine from being completely expelled from the bladder, leading to the formation of bladder stones over time. The treatment for bladder stones is relatively simple. For bladder stones that are less than two centimeters in size, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy can be used. For bladder stones larger than two centimeters, minimally invasive surgery can be performed.

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Written by Wang Shuai
Urology
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Can bladder stones be expelled?

Whether bladder stones can be expelled from the body depends on the size of the stones. If the diameter of the bladder stone is less than 7 millimeters, in this case, by drinking more water and urinating frequently, relying on the flushing action of urine, the stones can be expelled from the bladder in most cases. However, if the stone is larger, with a diameter of 1 centimeter or more, it is difficult to expel the stone through conservative treatment and often requires surgical intervention, such as extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy or holmium laser lithotripsy under cystoscopy to first crush the stone, then expel it through conservative treatment, or remove the crushed stones directly during the surgery.

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Written by Zeng Zhong
Urology
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Causes of bladder stones

There are two causes of bladder stones: First, it may be due to kidney stones that move down through the ureter and form bladder stones. Second, it is mainly due to obstructions in the urinary tract, such as an enlarged prostate, which causes the patient's bladder to not completely empty the urine each time, leading to urinary retention. Over time, stones can develop in the bladder and thus form bladder stones. The treatment of bladder stones depends on the size of the stone. You can visit the urology department of your local hospital for examination and treatment.