Surge in kidney stone patients attributed to contaminated water

Principal Postgraduate Medical Institute (PGMI) and Ameer-ud-Din Medical College Prof Dr Sardar Mohammad Al-Freed Zafar has claimed that nearly 80 million people in the country have kidney stones and the main reason behind this is usage of contaminated water.

The senior doctor made this claim while giving a special lecture on live operative workshop and new methods of kidney stone surgery at the Lahore General Hospital on Sunday. Apart from Head of Urology Department and Secretary General of Pakistan Association of Urological Surgeons Prof Dr Muhammad Nazir, the training workshop was also attended by medical foreign experts from different hospitals.

"Young doctors must adapt new research and requirements to ensure international standards in the field of medical," he advised the participants, adding that doctors will have to improve their medical education as well. Urology Professor at the LGH Dr Muhammad Nazir said that till now 250 cases have been completed under the new "Supine PCNL" system. Under this technology, only one centimeter cut is made from the kidney without changing the patient's position. The biggest stones are made out of powder," he explained. In this way, the operation takes less time and the patient can return to his/her house within 24 hours, he added.