The Stone Age is Back But We're Fighting Back with Compassion, Innovation, and Prevention

If you’ve ever had a kidney stone, you don’t forget the pain. It’s often described as one of the most intense forms of discomfort the human body can endure. But what’s even more alarming is this: kidney stones aren’t just a painful problem—they’re a growing one.

In the last five decades, the number of Americans diagnosed continued to steadily increase.

According to data from the National Kidney Foundation, the prevalence of kidney stones in the United States increased from 3.8% in the late 1970s to 8.8% in the late 2000s. In 2022, it was 11%.

‌But while it used to be a health issue mainly for men in middle age, the gender gap has almost disappeared.

Kidney stones are rising not only in women, but in adults in their 20s and 30s.

‌Even more startling is that today’s children are developing kidney stones at an unprecedented rate—many before they reach high school. Research published in 2022 in the Nature Reviews Nephrology journal noted that the incidence of symptomatic kidney stones in children increased from 7.9 per 100,000 in 1996 to 18.5 per 100,000 in 2007, with the fastest increase in adolescent girls.

‌And while no one has definitively proven what is behind the upward curve, most can agree it’s not just genetic predisposition and that lifestyle factors play a part.

Busy families often turn to fast food, frozen meals, and prepackaged snacks, all of which are chock-full of hidden salt and added sugars.

‌Recent studies also seem to show a connection between the use of antibiotics and kidney stone disease in children and adults, especially when the antibiotics were taken at an early age.

‌At University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, our pediatric nephrologists are sounding the alarm. Christina Nguyen, MD, and Emily Joyce, MD, have both seen a steady increase, year after year, in the number of children – especially teens – with kidney stones. The culprit is the same one causing high blood pressure in teens. “It’s diets overloaded with sodium, coupled with chronically low water intake,” says Dr. Nguyen.

‌This combination results in concentrated urine, which allows minerals to crystallize into painful stones. Pediatricians now recommend that children drink water daily in ounces equal to half their body weight. For a 60-pound child, that’s 30 ounces of water — yet most fall far short.

‌At UH, we don’t just treat the stones — we treat the whole patient.

Families who come to us aren’t handed a one-size-fits-all solution. They’re guided by compassionate care teams that include physicians, nurses and dietitians who create personalized nutrition plans, educate on prevention, and support long-term lifestyle changes.

And for the stones that do require removal, we offer cutting-edge, minimally invasive options like shockwave lithotripsy and ureteroscopy. In rare cases, larger stones may require a procedure called percutaneous nephrolithotomy — but even then, our focus is on minimizing pain and maximizing recovery.

‌That same spirit of innovation extends to our adult patients as well.

Late this summer, we will launch a dedicated UH Stones Clinic at UH Ahuja Medical Center.

‌José Salvadó, MD, and Felipe Pauchard Theoduloz, MD, both joined the UH Urology Institute in April to focus on urinary stones. In fact, just weeks after joining us, Dr. Salvado, who is also the Division Chief of Urinary Stones, returned to Chile to perform the world’s first human surgery using the Asurys™ endoscopic system — a groundbreaking technology that enhances precision and safety during surgery.

‌FDA approval of that technology is anticipated at the end of this year, and once it is approved, UH will be working to be one of the first hospital systems in the country to use it, says Lee Ponsky, MD, FACS, Chair of the UH Urology Institute, who holds the Leo and Charlotte Goldberg Chair in Advanced Surgical Therapies.

‌‌As Dr. Salvado explains, “The device is an irrigation system that delivers fluid through the endoscope while using artificial intelligence to help control intrarenal pressure, and thus allowing for perfect visibility throughout the surgery.”

‌UH patients will benefit from this innovation because procedures will be shorter and safer with reduced risk of kidney damage, sepsis, and post-operative pain.

‌The rise in kidney stones is a national – even international – issue. And so is the preponderance of ultraprocessed foods that make up far too much of what children and adults eat.

Just last  week, the American Medical Association (AMA) announced a new policy to promote public awareness and education about the differences between unhealthful ultraprocessed food (UPF) and healthful foods. Notably, it encourages integrating nutrition education into all levels of medical education, so that physicians can better counsel patients on how to reduce the unhealthful consumption of UPF.

‌Let’s be clear: Kidney stones are preventable for many. But whether you come to us for prevention, treatment, or recovery, you’ll find more than clinical excellence at UH — you’ll find empathy, teamwork, and hope.‌