Urology FAQs, Answered by Mumbai's Trusted Urologist

Most patients dismiss early kidney stone symptoms because they feel minor. Watch for pain in the back or side that comes in waves, burning during urination, blood in the urine, nausea, and unusually frequent or cloudy urination. The pain often stays mild and intermittent until the stone starts moving, at which point it can become severe very quickly. Getting evaluated at the first sign of these symptoms — rather than waiting for an emergency — is the single biggest factor in avoiding complications.

No — most back pain has nothing to do with the kidneys. Kidney stone pain has a distinct pattern: it typically starts in the side or lower back, radiates toward the abdomen or groin, and comes in sharp waves rather than a constant dull ache. It's usually accompanied by at least one other symptom — nausea, blood in urine, or urinary urgency. Muscular or spinal back pain, by contrast, tends to worsen with movement or posture and doesn't come with urinary symptoms.

Low water intake is a major contributor, but far from the only one. Kidney stones also form due to high salt intake, excessive animal protein, obesity, a family history of stones, recurrent urinary infections, certain medications, and metabolic disorders that affect how the body handles calcium, oxalate, or uric acid. In practice, diet and lifestyle usually matter as much as hydration alone.

Mumbai's climate and lifestyle patterns are a real factor. Heat and humidity increase fluid loss through sweat, but many people don't proportionally increase their water intake, especially with long commutes and desk-based work. Combine that with high-sodium and processed food consumption, sedentary routines, and rising obesity rates, and stone formation becomes significantly more likely — which is reflected in the volume of stone cases seen across Mumbai clinics each year.

Yes, and it's increasingly common. Kidney stones are no longer a condition of older adults only — poor hydration habits, fast food consumption, high-salt diets, obesity, and family history are all pushing the average age of first-time stone patients down. Anyone with recurring flank pain or urinary symptoms should get evaluated regardless of age.

Seek immediate consultation if pain becomes severe, blood appears in the urine, fever develops, vomiting occurs, or urine flow noticeably reduces or stops. These can signal an obstructed or infected kidney, which needs urgent treatment. Delaying care in these situations raises the risk of infection spreading to the kidney and permanent kidney damage.

Often, yes — small stones (typically under 5-6mm) frequently pass on their own with adequate hydration and medication to relax the ureter. Larger stones, stones causing persistent pain, infection, obstruction, or a decline in kidney function usually won't pass on their own and need medical intervention. Stone size and location are what Dr. Utture evaluates first to decide the right approach.

Surgery is generally advised when stones are large, blocking urine flow, causing repeated infections, producing severe unmanageable pain, or simply failing to pass naturally after a reasonable trial period. The choice between procedures — flexible ureteroscopy, Mini-PCNL, or laser lithotripsy — depends on stone size, location, and composition.

Laser kidney stone treatment uses a thin endoscope to reach the stone through the natural urinary tract, then fragments it using precisely targeted laser energy. The resulting fragments are either removed directly or left to pass naturally. Because there are no external incisions, it's minimally invasive with less pain and a faster return to normal activity than open surgery. Learn more on the Flexible Ureteroscopy (RIRS) page.

Flexible ureteroscopy, or RIRS (Retrograde Intrarenal Surgery), uses a thin, flexible scope passed through the natural urinary pathway to reach stones anywhere in the kidney — without any cuts on the body. Once positioned, a laser fiber breaks the stone into fragments small enough to clear naturally. It's especially effective for mid-sized stones and stones in locations that are hard to reach with rigid instruments. Full details on the Flexible Ureteroscopy / RIRS page.

Mini-PCNL (Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy) is used for larger kidney stones that aren't well suited to ureteroscopy — typically stones above 2cm or those with a complex shape. It accesses the stone through a small tract in the back rather than the natural urinary pathway, allowing larger fragments to be cleared in a single sitting, using a smaller instrument than traditional PCNL for less tissue trauma. See more on the Mini-PCNL Technology page.

Laser-based procedures have largely replaced open surgery for stone disease. They eliminate the need for large incisions, significantly reduce post-operative pain, shorten hospital stays from days to often same-day or overnight discharge, and offer much finer precision when fragmenting stones near delicate kidney tissue — translating into faster recovery and fewer complications overall.

Most patients return to light daily activity within 2-3 days and to full normal routine within a week, though this varies with stone size, procedure type, and individual healing. Some mild discomfort or blood-tinged urine for a few days after the procedure is normal and expected.

Yes. Anyone who has formed one stone has a meaningfully higher risk of forming another if the underlying diet, hydration, or metabolic factors aren't addressed. Recurrence rates drop substantially with proper preventive follow-up, which is why Dr. Utture recommends a structured review after treatment rather than treating the stone in isolation.

Prevention centres on adequate daily hydration (enough to keep urine pale), reducing salt and animal protein intake, maintaining a healthy body weight, and periodic follow-up with urine and blood tests to catch metabolic risk factors early. For patients with recurrent stones, Dr. Utture may recommend a stone composition analysis to tailor prevention specifically to the stone type involved.

High-salt and processed foods, excessive red meat, sugary beverages, and oxalate-rich foods (like spinach, nuts, and certain teas) can raise stone risk — though how much depends on the specific stone type a person is prone to. This is why blanket diet advice is less useful than a personalised plan based on prior stone composition.

Water significantly lowers the risk but doesn't guarantee prevention on its own. Diet, metabolism, genetics, and underlying medical conditions all influence stone formation independently of hydration. Good water intake is necessary but often not sufficient for people with strong metabolic or genetic predisposition.

The prostate is a walnut-sized gland located just below the bladder, surrounding the urethra in men. With age, hormonal changes cause the gland to gradually enlarge — a condition called Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH). As it grows, it can press on and narrow the urethra, which is what produces the urinary symptoms most men associate with an "enlarged prostate."

Frequent nighttime urination (nocturia) is one of the earliest and most common signs of an enlarged prostate, but it can also stem from urinary infections, diabetes, bladder conditions, or certain medications. If it's persistent — happening most nights over several weeks — it's worth a proper evaluation rather than assuming it's simply age-related.

Common early symptoms include frequent urination (especially at night), a weak or interrupted urine stream, a sense of urgency, incomplete bladder emptying, and difficulty starting urination. These symptoms typically develop gradually, which is why many men adjust their habits around them for years before seeking treatment.

No. Frequent urination can also result from urinary tract infections, diabetes, bladder disorders, certain medications (including diuretics), or simply high fluid intake. A urologist typically rules these out with a urine test and symptom review before attributing it to the prostate.

Yes — benign prostate enlargement becomes increasingly common from the age of 50 onward, and by 60 a large proportion of men have at least some symptoms. Left untreated, it can meaningfully affect sleep quality, daily comfort, and in some cases lead to urinary retention or kidney strain.

Blood in the urine, inability to urinate at all, severe urgency, pelvic or lower back pain, recurrent infections, or a sudden worsening of previously mild symptoms all warrant urgent medical evaluation. These can indicate a more serious underlying condition beyond simple BPH.

Surgery is generally considered when medication fails to control symptoms adequately, symptoms are severe enough to affect quality of life, urinary retention occurs, recurrent infections develop, or bladder/kidney function starts to decline. This is a decision made after a proper flow-rate and imaging assessment, not on symptoms alone.

Laser prostate surgery removes or vaporizes the obstructing prostate tissue that's narrowing the urethra, restoring a normal urine flow and relieving symptoms like straining and incomplete emptying. Because it's done endoscopically through the urinary tract, there's no external incision, which meaningfully reduces tissue trauma compared to open surgery.

Compared to traditional TURP (transurethral resection), laser techniques generally involve less bleeding, a shorter catheterisation period, a shorter hospital stay — often one night or less — and a quicker return to normal activity, including for patients on blood thinners who previously faced higher surgical risk.

Traditional prostate surgery (open or TURP) typically involves more blood loss, longer catheterisation, and a longer hospital stay. Laser procedures are minimally invasive, offer more precise tissue removal with less bleeding, and are increasingly the preferred option for men with larger prostates or those on anticoagulant medication.

For most patients, yes — laser procedures carry lower risk of significant bleeding and generally faster healing. That said, the right approach always depends on individual factors like prostate size, overall health, and medication history, which is why it's evaluated case by case during consultation rather than assumed.

Most men are advised to discuss prostate screening starting at age 50. Men with a family history of prostate cancer, or of African descent, are typically advised to start the conversation earlier, around 40-45. Screening isn't a single test — it's a discussion with your urologist about your individual risk factors first.

Not at all. PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) can rise due to benign prostate enlargement, infection, recent ejaculation, or even a recent cycling session — not just cancer. An elevated PSA is a signal to investigate further, typically with a repeat test, imaging, or targeted biopsy, not a diagnosis on its own. Context and trend over time matter more than a single number.

Yes. Prostate cancer in its early stages often produces no symptoms at all, which is exactly why age-appropriate screening matters — it can catch abnormalities well before symptoms would ever appear, when treatment options are broadest and outcomes are best.

Not directly. BPH (benign enlargement) and prostate cancer are different conditions and one does not cause the other, though both become more common with age and can share overlapping symptoms. The large majority of enlarged prostate cases are benign — but because symptoms can look similar, proper evaluation is what distinguishes the two.

Recurrent UTIs — generally defined as two or more infections in six months — can stem from incomplete bladder emptying, kidney or bladder stones, anatomical narrowing, diabetes, menopause-related changes, or in men, an enlarged prostate obstructing flow. Recurrence that keeps returning despite antibiotics is a signal to look for an underlying structural or metabolic cause rather than treating each episode in isolation. Read more in Dr. Utture's article on Burning Urination & Recurrent UTI.

A UTI usually refers to a bladder or lower urinary tract infection — burning urination, urgency, and cloudy urine, without fever in most cases. A kidney infection (pyelonephritis) is more serious: it typically involves fever, chills, flank or back pain, and nausea, and needs prompt treatment to prevent kidney damage. Any UTI symptoms accompanied by fever or back pain should be evaluated urgently.

If symptoms persist despite a full course of antibiotics, or infections keep recurring every few weeks or months, antibiotics alone are treating the symptom, not the cause. At that point, a urologist typically investigates for stones, incomplete bladder emptying, anatomical issues, or (in men) prostate-related obstruction using urine culture, ultrasound, or further imaging.

Burning urination is usually the first sign of a urinary infection, but ignoring it or self-medicating repeatedly can let a simple infection progress to the kidneys or mask an underlying issue like a stone or obstruction. Persistent or recurring burning urination — even if mild — is worth a proper urine test rather than repeated over-the-counter treatment.

Look for a urologist with dedicated fellowship training in endourology (laser stone treatment) and a track record of minimally invasive procedures like RIRS, Mini-PCNL, and laser prostate surgery — not just general urology practice. Ask specifically about their experience with your stone size or symptom profile, the technology used, and expected recovery time. Dr. Anand Utture practices at Mahim, Mumbai, with a focus on advanced laser and endoscopic techniques for kidney stones and prostate conditions — review his full background on the About Dr. Anand Utture page.

The first visit typically covers a detailed symptom history, relevant past reports (ultrasound, blood tests, prior prescriptions if any), and a physical or urine examination as needed. Bringing any existing imaging or lab reports speeds up the evaluation significantly. Based on this, Dr. Utture will recommend further tests if needed or discuss a treatment plan directly.

Most standard health insurance policies in India do cover laser kidney stone and prostate procedures, as they're recognised medically necessary treatments rather than elective/cosmetic ones — but coverage specifics (room category, day-care vs. hospitalisation clauses) vary by insurer and policy. Overall cost depends on stone size or prostate size, procedure type, and hospital stay required. The clinic can help you understand cashless hospitalisation options and provide an estimate during consultation — get in touch here.

Stay well-hydrated, avoid heavy lifting or strenuous exercise for the period advised by your surgeon (typically 1-2 weeks), take prescribed medications for any temporary stent discomfort, and watch for warning signs like fever, heavy bleeding, or inability to urinate — these need immediate follow-up. A scheduled review visit, usually within 1-2 weeks, confirms healing and removes any temporary stent.