About the Pediatric Kidney Stone Center
Kidney stones can be painful and upsetting for both you and your child. Unfortunately, they are becoming more common in children. Until recently, children with kidney stones were primarily treated in adult healthcare settings. Studies have shown, however, that specialized care for children with stones improves patient outcomes.
To meet the rising need for specialized kidney stone treatment for children, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia established the Pediatric Kidney Stone Center. The mission of the Kidney Stone Center is to provide state-of-the-art comprehensive evaluation and treatment for children with kidney stone disease and generate knowledge that advances care and improves the outcome and quality of life for children with kidney stone disease.
Our goal is to define and deliver the most advanced care for pediatric patients with kidney stone disease. We use a multidisciplinary approach and state-of-the-art treatments, including incisionless stone ablation with laser and shock waves, as well as minimally invasive surgery performed by laparoscopic and robotic techniques. With specialized care, your child is less likely to have a recurrence and will be able to return to school and childhood activities sooner.
With our multidisciplinary team approach, your child is assessed and treated by medical professionals who will develop a personalized plan to treat the stone as well as address your child’s nutritional and medical needs.
In addition to removing existing stones, we place a strong emphasis on preventing future kidney stones. We identify specific risk factors for kidney stone recurrence and work with your family to come up with a long-term prevention plan that will work best for your child.
Today, children and adolescents from across the United States and world travel to CHOP's Pediatric Kidney Stone Center for care. Since 2013, more than 1,500 patients have been evaluated and treated by the Stone Center.
Improving treatment options
Primary care providers are seeing more and more children with stone disease. We routinely hold educational programs with these frontline providers. This helps to ensure doctors have the information they need to effectively diagnose, manage and prevent kidney stones in children.
A critical part of our mission is documenting our care and outcomes so we can better understand the factors that lead to kidney stones in children. Our team is involved in ongoing research efforts dedicated to identifying better methods of prevention and improving treatment options for children with kidney stones.
