Cleveland Clinic

According to the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearing House, nearly three million people visit their health care provider and more than half a million people visit emergency rooms for kidney stone problems.

Many of these patients also suffer from recurrent or complex kidney stones that are often debilitating to their lives. When this happens, surgical procedures may be an option.

The majority of such kidney stones, depending on their size and location, can be removed with minimally invasive techniques such as shock wave lithotripsy (SWL), ureteroscopy, or percutaneous surgery. SWL is a relatively non-invasive procedure that uses targeted shock waves to break stones into tiny pieces that are passed naturally in the urine.

Cleveland Clinic urologists were among the first in Ohio to use lithotripsy, and more than 3,000 patients have had lithotripsy at Cleveland Clinic. Additionally, the American Urologic Association has designated Cleveland Clinic as a national lithotripsy training center for physicians.

Dr. Manoj Monga joined the Glickman Urological & Kidney Institute in September 2010 and specializes in kidney stone disease, minimally invasive treatments for nephrolithiasis, endoscopic procedures for ureteropelvic junction obstruction, endoscopic procedures for upper tract transitional cell cancer, and the prevention of nephrolithiasis.

Carolyn Snyder is an American Dietetic Association registered and Ohio licensed dietician who has worked in nephrology and urology for more than 20 years. She is currently providing her services to the Metabolic Kidney Stones Clinic for the Glickman Urological & Kidney Institute.

Take advantage of this opportunity to chat live in a secure online setting with Dr. Monga and Carolyn Snyder, and get answers to common questions regarding kidney stones and the available treatments options. This is your time to ask.