Surgery (perioperative)

The patient is asked to arrive at the Center 1 to 1 1/2 hours before surgery is to start. The patient is prepared for surgery, an IV is started, and informed consents are done by the treating anesthesiologist, urologist, and nurse. Postoperative instructions are given. Each treatment takes an average of 1 to 1 ½ hours. The patient must recover from the procedure in the recovery room before discharge. Total time at the Center is usually 4-5 hours. The patient must have a responsible adult transport them at discharge. No patient is allowed to leave alone.

After Surgery (postoperative)

After discharge, the patient’s referring urologist resumes the patient’s care. Usually, normal diet, normal physical activity, normal sexual activity can be resumed 24 hours after surgery. If the patient has questions or problems, they are to call the referring urologist. All patients are asked to see the referring urologist one to two weeks after surgery. The followup visit is extremely important to determine if the procedure was successful and to check for any problems. More than one postoperative visit may be necessary.

The postoperative visit is a good time to talk with the urologist about how to prevent future stones. The referring urologist is required to send a report back to the Center giving the outcome of treatment. If a stent is present at discharge, this MUST be removed in a timely fashion, usually within 4-6 weeks of being put in. If not removed, severe complications will occur including the rapid formation of new stones. If the patient is a “stone former”, it is advisable to see the urologist every year in the future to check for the silent formation of new stones.