Kidney Care Services

Kidney Stones

Thoughtful kidney stone prevention and evaluation focused on finding the cause and lowering your risk of future stones.

Understanding your care

What are kidney stones?

Kidney stones are hard mineral deposits that form in the kidneys and can move into the urinary tract. They may cause severe pain, blood in the urine, nausea, or repeated urinary symptoms, but even when a stone passes, the reason it formed often remains.

There are several types of stones. Calcium oxalate stones are the most common, while uric acid, struvite, and cystine stones each have different causes and prevention strategies. The type of stone matters because prevention is not one-size-fits-all.

Urologists and nephrologists play different roles. Urologists focus on procedures to remove stones or relieve blockage when a stone is actively causing a surgical problem. Nephrologists focus on prevention, metabolic evaluation, and understanding why stones keep happening in the first place.

Without prevention, the chance of another stone stays high. If you've had one kidney stone, you're at 50% risk for another within 5-7 years — unless you take steps to prevent it.

How we help

A treatment plan built around your life

Our focus is not just treating the stone you already had. We work to understand why it formed so you have the best chance of preventing the next one.

  • Perform a full metabolic workup

    We use blood testing, stone analysis when available, and targeted history to understand your individual risk factors.

  • Use 24-hour urine testing

    A 24-hour urine analysis helps us identify high calcium, low citrate, high oxalate, low urine volume, and other preventable drivers.

  • Tailor nutrition guidance

    We recommend hydration, sodium limits, protein balance, oxalate awareness, and calcium strategies based on your stone type and lab results.

  • Prescribe prevention medications when needed

    Some patients benefit from general medication classes that change urine calcium, citrate, uric acid, or acidity. We explain options without one-size-fits-all dosing.

  • Coordinate with urology when necessary

    If a stone needs procedural treatment, we work alongside your urologist and stay focused on recurrence prevention afterward.

  • Track recurrence risk over time

    Follow-up lets us measure whether your prevention plan is working and make changes before another stone develops.

What to expect

A clear path from referral to ongoing care

We keep the process simple, explain what comes next, and stay connected with your primary care doctor and other specialists.
Step 1

Referral and stone history review

We review prior stone events, imaging, procedures, diet patterns, hydration habits, and any past stone analysis or lab work.

Step 2

First stone prevention visit

At the first visit, we talk through what type of stone you may have had, what could be driving recurrence, and what testing makes the most sense.

Step 3

Prevention plan

We create a personalized plan using 24-hour urine results, dietary recommendations, hydration targets, and medication when appropriate.

Step 4

Long-term follow-up

We repeat testing as needed, watch for recurrence, and adjust the plan so you are doing more than just reacting to the next stone.

Symptoms and warning signs

Stone symptoms can be sudden and intense

A kidney stone may sit quietly in the kidney, or it may cause severe pain when it moves and blocks urine flow. Even after the pain stops, prevention still matters because the chemistry that formed the stone may still be present.

  • Sharp pain in the back, side, lower belly, or groin that may come in waves
  • Blood in the urine, burning with urination, cloudy urine, or frequent urges to urinate
  • Nausea, vomiting, sweating, or trouble getting comfortable during a stone attack
  • Fever, chills, or inability to urinate, which can be urgent when a stone blocks flow

Causes and risk factors

Stones form when urine chemistry gets out of balance

Stones can form when urine is too concentrated or when minerals and acids collect faster than the body can keep them dissolved. The goal is to find your pattern, then lower risk in a practical way.

  • Not drinking enough fluid, especially during hot West Tennessee summers or outdoor work
  • High-sodium eating patterns, very high animal-protein intake, or low urine citrate
  • Family history of stones, gout, bowel disease, certain surgeries, or recurrent urinary infections
  • Prior kidney stones, because one stone often means the body chemistry still favors another

How TKE diagnoses risk

Prevention starts with the right clues

Stone history and imaging review

We review CT scans, ultrasounds, X-rays, procedure notes, and symptoms to understand stone size, location, and whether blockage was involved.

Blood and urine testing

Blood tests may check kidney function, calcium, uric acid, bicarbonate, and other clues. Urine testing helps show whether stone-forming minerals are too concentrated.

24-hour urine collection

This test measures urine volume, calcium, oxalate, citrate, sodium, uric acid, pH, and other factors so prevention can be specific to you.

Prevention and living well

The best stone treatment is often preventing the next one

You should not have to live waiting for the next painful episode. A prevention plan may include hydration goals, nutrition changes, medication classes when appropriate, and repeat testing to prove the plan is working. Learn more through our kidney health check, our FAQ page, or our locations across West Tennessee.

  • Build a hydration routine that keeps urine lighter in color unless your clinician gives a different fluid plan.
  • Do not cut out calcium on your own; the right amount of dietary calcium may help some stone types.
  • Lower sodium most days because salt can raise urine calcium and stone risk.
  • Save a passed stone when possible so it can be analyzed and prevention can be more precise.

This page is for education only and is not medical advice. Kidney stone symptoms, testing, and prevention plans should be reviewed with your healthcare provider.

Kidney stone FAQs

Questions about stone prevention

Why see a nephrologist for kidney stones?

A urologist helps when a stone needs removal or a blockage must be relieved. A nephrologist focuses on why stones form and how to lower the chance of another one.

What is a 24-hour urine test?

It is a collection of all urine made over one day. The results show stone risk factors such as low urine volume, high calcium, high oxalate, low citrate, high sodium, uric acid, and urine pH.

Do all kidney stones require surgery?

No. Some stones pass on their own, while others need urgent or planned procedures. Our prevention work usually starts after the acute issue is safe or alongside urology when needed.

Can food changes prevent stones?

Food and fluid changes can help many patients, but advice depends on the stone type and urine chemistry. Hydration and sodium reduction are common starting points, but your plan should be individualized.

When is a kidney stone an emergency?

Seek urgent care for fever, chills, uncontrolled pain, repeated vomiting, trouble urinating, or if you have one kidney or known poor kidney function and suspect a blocked stone.

Big Expertise. Small-Town Heart.

Ready to stop chasing one stone after another?

Call (731) 300-6155, request care through contact, or ask your clinician to send a referral. Fax referrals to 731-300-6955.

Take the next step

Talk with a kidney specialist about your next step

Whether you were recently referred or you are looking for answers after a hospital stay, we will help you understand what is happening and build a plan that feels manageable.

Schedule an appointment Call (731) 300-6155