Kidney Pain Dictionary

tubules: Tiny, urine-carrying tubes in the nephrons.

tunnel surgery: A procedure (technical name: percutaneous nephrolithotomy) in which a small cut is made in the patient’s back to create a narrow tunnel to the stone inside the kidney. The stone is then removed through the tunnel with a special surgical instrument.

ureters: Long, thin tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder and then outside the body.

ureteroscope: A surgical instrument with a camera that is inserted into the urethra. It passes through the bladder and to the ureter where the stone is located. The camera helps locate the stone, which is either pulled out or destroyed.

urethra: The tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body. Is fairly short in women; in men is longer, passing through the penis and carrying the semen.

uric acid stone: May form when urine contains too much acid. One possible cause is excessive meat consumption.

urinary tract: The path that urine takes as it leaves the body. Includes the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra.

urinary tract infection: An infection most often caused by bacteria entering the urinary tract from the urethra.