Early Treatment Shames Kidney Stones, Says Urologist

A consultant urological surgeon with Royal Free London NHS Foundation, Dr Leye Ajayi, has said patients with kidney stones can make full recovery if diagnosed and treated early enough. Dr Ajayi made this known at the training/lecture organised by PathCare Laboratories in Lagos on kidney stones.
In a lecture titled, Kidney Stones: Unrecognised, Undiagnosed and Untreated, Ajayi, a leading specialist in the management of kidney stones using non-invasive procedures, in the UK, said kidney stone was more common among Africans than is currently acknowledged. But, according to him, it is poorly recognised by physicians in Nigeria because of paucity of diagnostic equipment and the fact that it mimics a lot of other more common conditions. According to him, severe pain is a major symptom of kidney stones.
“Doctors need to have a high index of suspicion when patients come with severe back pain. Patients can also present with fever or feel unwell, which is why it is sometimes mistaken for malaria. The danger of untreated kidney stone is that it could lead to loss of the kidney with patients needing dialysis or transplant.” The expert however said patients can make full recovery if diagnosed and treated early enough.
“We always encourage our stone patients to be properly hydrated. In the UK, the intake of about 2 to 3 litres of water a day is recommended, but because of our climate in Nigeria, patients will probably drink 4 to 5 litres to reduce the risk of forming new stones.”
Also speaking, a consultant pathologist at PathCare Laboratories, Dr. Olawale Olusanya, said the training is a Nigerian Medical and Dental council accredited Continuous Medical Education (CME) programme to update doctors on the current trends in the management of various health conditions.
He said, “PathCare, in conjunction with its partner, the Bridge Clinic, has continued to invest in Doctors Forum programme, because we recognise the importance of continuous training of doctors and other medical personnel in order to build a sustainable and high quality healthcare in Nigeria.”
Speaking on Decoding the National Health Bill-What Every Physician in Private Practice Needs To Know, Dr. Seun Akinyemi, of the Department of Health Policy and Management, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, said, the passage of the bill was necessary for the development of the sector.
Akinyemi added that some loopholes in the bill needed to be reviewed to ensure that there was proper implementation of the bill and that doctors in the private practice did not become victims as the current health bill recognises the contribution of private practitioners in Nigeria’s health system.