According to the National Kidney Foundation, kidney stones send over half a million people in the U.S. to the emergency room every year. One in ten people will get a kidney stone in their lifetime. These hard, crystalized objects that form in the kidneys can be about the size of a grain of sand and cause little to no symptoms. As they get bigger, they’re more likely to lodge in the ureter, blocking the passage of urine and causing immobilizing discomfort. Surgical intervention may be necessary to remove larger stones, but clinical studies have shown that traditional approaches can leave residual stone fragments, which leads to post-procedure issues like pain, hospitalization and the need for additional follow-up treatments.

The CVAC System is a new treatment option designed to remove these risks. Genesis Nieves, MD, a Urologist who treats patients from Watson Clinic Main in Lakeland, is the first specialist in the Lakeland area to offer this groundbreaking procedure, and she has achieved exceptional 98^% clearance rates for stones averaging 2 cm in size. The system uses a ureteroscopy (a catheter with a tiny camera that travels through the urinary tract) to break up stones with a laser fiber, then gently removes the stone fragments with irrigation and vacuum aspiration, leaving behind a stone-free kidney.

“This newer CVAC technology has been a game changer for many patients,” she says, “because it significantly improves our ability to clear stone burden in one procedure and reduce the chance of leftover fragments or recurrence. While no surgery can promise 100^% clearance, outcomes are excellent in the majority of cases.”

To schedule a consultation with Dr. Nieves and find out if you’re a candidate for this procedure, call 863-680-7300 or visit WatsonClinic.com/Nieves.