BMH to conduct urinary tract stones screening
DODOMA-based Benjamin Mkapa Hospital (BMH) has called upon patients with colic pain in the loin and groin and those who experience symptoms like nausea, vomiting, chilly repeated UTI, and blood in urine to go for screening.
The call was made on Friday, as the Hospital’s Renal and Urology Department is scheduled to start screening patients with urinary system stone next Monday as it prepares for a professorship surgical programme which will run from January 22 to 29 this year.
Head of Urology Department, Dr Remigius Rugakingira said that, two Urology Professors from General Hospital in Vienna-Austria, Prof Mesut Remzi and Prof Christian Seitz will jet in Dodoma to mentor, teach and give hands on Endourology operations (Nephrectomies and Stone management).
Dr Rugakingira appealed to the public to turn up in large numbers, because scientifically many people experience kidney stones at least once in their lifetime.
He said if preventative measures are not taken at least half of them will experience a similar problem in seven years.
“The hospital is providing an opportunity for diagnosis and treatment using modern technologies,” he said.
“Before mulling over treatment, kidney stone patient must undergo series of investigations including urine analysis, blood test with specific interest to renal functions, and diagnostic investigations such as Abdominal pelvic X-Ray, Ultrasound, and CT-Scan, mainly to find the anatomical nature of the kidney, ureter and urinary bladder,” he said.
The Urologist noted that, the series of diagnoses assist to identify whether there is kidney stone, where it is positioned, and its state (its hardness or softness), which will then help the surgeon to decide the model of treatments.
Accordingly, there are various interventions that may range from medical expulsive therapy (MET), lifestyle modification, and surgery.
The Benjamin Mkapa Hospital is an ultra-modern health centre, which uses high-tech in treating kidney stones among other treatment methods.
Explaining about ureteroscopy (URS) laser urinary stone management, Dr Rugakingira said, it is performed with the patient under general anaesthesia.
“During the procedure a ureteroscopy (a long and thin scope with a tiny fiber optic camera at the end that allows the surgeon to see beyond the bladder into the ureters) is inserted through the urethra and the bladder to the ureter (a tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder), after locating the stone we deploy laser fiber to hit the stone into small pieces, before they are extracted,” he explained.
After the procedure, renter and urethra are catheterised, unlike open surgery, with URS it is expected that 24 hours will be enough for the patient to return home.
Inadequate water intake vs body use, genetic reasons, bed ridden patients, gout, excessive medication, resection of the bowel, and food intake, like Vitamin C, spinach, and meat are few of the many risk factors for kidney stones.
