18 Apr UW Health clinical trial examines new way of eliminating kidney stones
Kidney stones have been a painful reality for Ed Feiteira, who lives in Stoughton.
When the stones would form, it would feel like back pain, but then eventually move down below his waist. He would usually pass the stones in his urine, but once a larger stone caused pain so severe, he had to go the emergency room, he said.
“When you have a pain deep inside and you don’t know what it is, it’s scary and it doubles you over,” Feiteira said.
Kidney stones form when calcium and other chemicals in urine become too concentrated and crystalize. They can block the flow of urine and become very painful. If stones become lodged in the urinary tract or kidney, surgery can be required to remove them.
In late 2023, a twist of fate led to the discovery of a large kidney stone that wouldn’t pass on its own. Feiteira, who works as a mechanic on exotic sports cars and rare automobiles at Autohandler in Fitchburg, was having significant pain from an issue with his upper leg.
During an X-ray on his hip, his care team noticed a 2-centimeter kidney stone had formed. It was too big to pass through his urinary tract, so it was sitting in his kidney and would require surgery.
“It didn’t cause any pain,” he said. “I had no idea it was there.”
Traditionally, urologists eliminate large stones by making an incision in the back, entering the urinary tract and pulverizing the stones before sucking them out — somewhat like how a dentist might remove excess water and toothpaste during a dental visit. The procedure requires a team of people to operate the equipment to break up the stone and clear out the resulting particles.
Through his urologist, Dr. Margaret Knoedler, endourologist, UW Health, and assistant professor of urology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Feiteira was given another option — a clinical trial using flexible robotic technology called the MONARCH Platform for Urology, a Johnson & Johnson MedTech product. Read more …