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DEBORAH: The initial problem was I was having recurrent urinary tract infections,
and we couldn't seem to get our hands around it. And then
Dr. Saltzstein did some scans and determined that I had
kidney stones in both kidneys. DR SALTZSTEIN: When I counseled Deborah on
her options, I felt like surgery was absolutely indicated. She had stones that
were infected.
Unless we removed those infected stones, her infections would
continue, and she would probably have continued deterioration of her kidney function.
DEBORAH: My understanding from what Dr. Saltzstein told me was that my
case was very severe.
Both kidneys were full of stones. He suspected that they were infected stones,
which complicated things
quite a bit.
DR SALTZSTEIN: Deborah ended up requiring four surgeries to completely get her stone-free.
We did two percutaneous nephrolithotomies.
And that's where you put a tube into the kidney and remove the stones
through that tube.
And you can use, I call them "jack hammers," laser devices,
suction tubes so we can get the larger stones out. She also had was called lithotripsy.
or E-S-W-L
where we shock the stones that were remaining.
She had one ureteroscopy where we went from below
and took our telescopes to get her stone. DEBORAH: The recovery process was pretty extensive.
I found that after the first procedure,
the invasive procedure on the first kidney, I lost a lot of blood. I had very little
energy, and I also went home with
a tube and a bag, which I really wasn't expecting
so I missed quite a bit of work. And it was just a matter of getting my strength back
so that I can be ready to do the next procedure.
I would say that Dr. Saltzstein and these procedures
both changed my life. I feel very good about what
he did. I feel very good about where I'm going in the future because he's going
to monitor and make sure
that I don't get in a situation like I was in before.
So my life is so much better today. DR SALTZSTEIN: Kidney stones are extremely common in San Antonio
and in South Texas.
One word of advise, if you don't want to have to visit your friendly urologist
in the emergency room is to go ahead and drink lots of fluids. A couple glasses of
water keeps the doctor away.