What are the treatments for Medullary Sponge Kidney ?
Scientists have not discovered a way to reverse medullary sponge kidney. Once a health care provider is sure a person has medullary sponge kidney, treatment focuses on
                
- curing an existing UTI  - removing any kidney stones
                
Curing an Existing Urinary Tract Infection
                
To treat a UTI, the health care provider may prescribe a medication called an antibiotic that kills bacteria. The choice of medication and length of treatment depend on the persons medical history and the type of bacteria causing the infection. More information is provided in the NIDDK health topic, Urinary Tract Infections in Adults.
                
Removing Kidney Stones
                
Treatment for kidney stones usually depends on their size and what they are made of, as well as whether they are causing pain or obstructing the urinary tract. Kidney stones may be treated by a general practitioner or by a urologista doctor who specializes in the urinary tract.
                
Small stones usually pass through the urinary tract without treatment. Still, the person may need pain medication and should drink lots of liquids to help move the stone along. Pain control may consist of oral or intravenous (IV) medication, depending on the duration and severity of the pain. People may need IV fluids if they become dehydrated from vomiting or an inability to drink.
                
A person with a larger stone, or one that blocks urine flow and causes great pain, may need more urgent treatment, such as
                
- shock wave lithotripsy. A machine called a lithotripter is used to break up the kidney stone into smaller pieces to pass more easily through the urinary tract. The patient may need local or general anesthesia.  - ureteroscopy. A ureteroscopea long, tubelike instrument with an eyepieceis used to find and retrieve the stone with a small basket or to break the stone up with laser energy. Local or general anesthesia may be required.  - percutaneous nephrolithotomy. In this procedure, a wire-thin viewing instrument, called a nephroscope, is used to locate and remove the stones. During the procedure, which requires general anesthesia, a tube is inserted directly into the kidney through a small incision in the patients back.
                
More information is provided in the NIDDK health topic, Kidney Stones in Adults.