17/10/2025
Friday urology tip:
While there are multiple medications that can help with kidney stone prevention, patients often ask if their stone can be dissolved rather than removed surgically.
The only common stone type that can be dissolved with medication is uric acid. Potassium citrate is effective in dissolving uric acid stones, but it takes time. So this would be used in the case of a non-obstructing kidney stone, not a ureteral stone causing symptoms.
Both potassium citrate and thiazide diuretics can be used to prevent new calcium oxalate stones from forming. unfortunately, these stones are extremely hard and dense, and are not amenable to being dissolved.
