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ENDOUROLOGY · KIDNEY STONES
Kidney Stone Surgery in Istanbul
Assoc. Prof. Tuncay Taş clears kidney and ureter stones with laser, keyhole and, for rare complex cases, robotic surgery. Most patients go home after one night.
20+ years
in urology
5 studies
on stone treatment
1 night
in hospital
From $2,500
laser RIRS
Career and research figures from Assoc. Prof. Taş's clinical profile and PubMed record. Prices show guide ranges, and your written quote follows the consultation.
Medically reviewed by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tuncay Taş, urologist · Updated October 2026
What is kidney stone surgery?
Kidney stone surgery removes a stone that will not pass on its own or that blocks the kidney. Today most operations need no cut at all. Instead, a thin scope travels up through the urinary tract, and a laser turns the stone into dust.
For large stones, the surgeon works through a tunnel under 1 cm wide in the back. Rarely, the kidney's shape or a narrowing makes keyhole tools unsuitable. Then robotic surgery replaces old-style open surgery.
The right method depends on the stone's size, position and hardness. So your CT scan, not a fixed package, decides the plan.
Which situation brings you here?
Pick the line closest to your own case, and then jump to the part that answers it first.
Which treatment fits my stone?
Stone size and position decide the first choice, and stone hardness fine-tunes it. The table shows the usual plan that Assoc. Prof. Taş follows, in line with European guidance.
Ureter, on the way down
Size: Under 10 mm
Usual first choice: Tablets to help it pass, then laser ureteroscopy if it stays
Alternatives: Shock wave lithotripsy
Ureter, on the way down
Size: Over 10 mm
Usual first choice: Laser ureteroscopy
Alternatives: Shock waves for upper ureter stones
Kidney, upper or middle part
Size: Under 20 mm
Usual first choice: Laser RIRS or shock wave lithotripsy
Alternatives: Mini PCNL for very hard stones
Kidney, lower pole
Size: 10 to 20 mm
Usual first choice: Laser RIRS or mini PCNL
Alternatives: Shock waves when the anatomy suits
Kidney, large or staghorn
Size: Over 20 mm
Usual first choice: Mini PCNL
Alternatives: Laser RIRS in two sessions
Kidney with a narrowing or unusual shape
Size: Any size
Usual first choice: Robotic stone removal, often with repair of the narrowing
Alternatives: Staged keyhole treatment
Why stone hardness matters
Doctors measure hardness on CT in Hounsfield units. Stones above about 1,000 units often resist shock waves, so a laser works better.
In fact, Assoc. Prof. Taş co-authored a study on this. It linked stone density to shock wave success in ureter stones.
Kidney stone treatment options explained
Each method suits a different stone, so the choice matters. Here is what each one involves, in plain terms.
Laser RIRS (flexible ureteroscopy)
A flexible scope passes through the bladder and up into the kidney, with no incision. Then a holmium or thulium laser turns the stone to dust, and a basket lifts out fragments. It suits most kidney stones under 2 cm.
Laser ureteroscopy
A slim semi-rigid scope reaches a stone stuck in the ureter. The laser breaks it, and the fragments wash out. Often this is a day case.
Mini PCNL
For stones over 2 cm, the surgeon makes a tunnel under 1 cm wide in your back. Next, a laser or ultrasound probe breaks the stone, and suction removes it. Many patients need no drainage tube afterwards.
Shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL)
Shock waves from outside the body crack the stone, so you need no anaesthesia beyond pain relief. However, hard stones and lower-pole stones respond less well, and some patients need more than one session.
Tablets to help a stone pass
An alpha blocker relaxes the ureter so that a small stone can pass. For example, around 68 in 100 ureter stones up to 5 mm pass on their own. That figure comes from joint European and American guidance.
When robotic surgery is the better route
Robotic stone surgery suits a small group of patients for whom laser and keyhole tools fall short. The surgeon works through small ports, opens the kidney's collecting system, removes the stone and stitches it closed.
A stone sits above a narrowing where the kidney meets the ureter, so the surgeon removes the stone and repairs the narrowing in one operation.
The kidney has an unusual shape or position, such as a horseshoe kidney.
A very large stone in the kidney's central basin keeps coming back after keyhole treatment.
In the past, these cases meant open surgery with a long cut. Now robotic surgery replaces it, so you keep the benefits of small wounds and a short stay.
Anaesthesia, hospital stay and recovery compared
This table shows a typical, uncomplicated case. Your own plan may differ, so Assoc. Prof. Taş confirms it after reviewing your CT with you.
Laser RIRS
Anaesthesia: General or spinal
Hospital stay: Day case or 1 night
Stent: Often, for 1 to 2 weeks
Back to desk work: 2 to 3 days
Laser ureteroscopy
Anaesthesia: General or spinal
Hospital stay: Day case or 1 night
Stent: Sometimes, up to 1 week
Back to desk work: 1 to 3 days
Mini PCNL
Anaesthesia: General
Hospital stay: 1 to 2 nights
Stent: Sometimes; often tubeless
Back to desk work: 7 to 10 days
Shock wave lithotripsy
Anaesthesia: Pain relief or light sedation
Hospital stay: None
Stent: Rarely
Back to desk work: 1 to 2 days
Robotic stone removal
Anaesthesia: General
Hospital stay: 2 to 3 nights
Stent: Usually, for a few weeks
Back to desk work: About 2 weeks
Avoid heavy lifting for one week after RIRS or ureteroscopy. After mini PCNL, wait four weeks.
What Assoc. Prof. Taş's research adds to your treatment
Assoc. Prof. Taş has studied stone treatment for over a decade. His findings shape practical choices, so here are three that patients ask about.
Positioning during shock waves: in a randomised study of 740 patients, a 30-degree head-down tilt raised the stone-free rate for lower-pole stones from 73 to 81 per cent.
Stones hidden in a pouch: laser RIRS cleared stones in calyceal diverticula in 26 of 30 patients, with an average hospital stay of just over one day.
Size and number: single and smaller stones more often ended stone-free after RIRS, so he plans a second session early for large or multiple stones.
Symptoms, and when a stone becomes an emergency
A stone often causes no symptoms until it moves. Then it can trigger sudden, severe pain in the side or back, which may spread to the groin.
Pain in waves, often with nausea or vomiting
Blood in the urine, pink or brown
A frequent, urgent need to pass urine
Go to an emergency department if you have these
Fever or chills with stone pain can mean a blocked, infected kidney. That needs urgent drainage with a stent or a small tube, and antibiotics. Then the stone comes out once the infection clears.
Also seek help at once if you cannot keep fluids down. The same applies if you pass very little urine.
How doctors find and measure a stone
A low-dose CT scan without contrast is the standard test. It also shows each stone's size, position and hardness in one go.
Ultrasound helps in pregnancy and in children, since it uses no radiation. Next, urine and blood tests check for infection and kidney function. Finally, after treatment, a lab analyses the stone, so prevention can target its type.
Stones are common, too. For instance, US data from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases show the scale.
About 11 per cent of men and 6 per cent of women form a stone at least once.
Your 4 to 5 days in Istanbul, step by step
Most patients need four to five days in Istanbul for RIRS or ureteroscopy. Mini PCNL adds one or two days.
01
Day 1: arrival and tests
First, a driver takes you from the airport to your hotel. Then you meet Assoc. Prof. Taş, who examines you, reviews your CT and orders any new tests.
02
Day 2: your procedure
The treatment itself takes 30 to 90 minutes. Most patients then stay one night in hospital.
03
Days 3 to 4: rest and light walking
You rest at your hotel with simple painkillers and plenty of fluid. Short walks around the city are fine, but avoid heavy lifting.
04
Day 5: check-up and flight home
A final check confirms you feel well. Then you get a discharge letter that states when any stent must come out.
Recovery, stents and flying home
A stent is a soft, thin tube. It keeps urine flowing from the kidney to the bladder while swelling settles.
Many patients feel it as an urge to pass urine or a mild ache. Some also see a little blood.
You can fly with a stent once you pass urine normally, have no fever and your pain is under control. Removal is a quick procedure that a urologist at home can do, and your letter explains the timing.
Also, drink enough to keep your urine pale, especially on the flight.
How can you prevent the next kidney stone?
Without prevention, about half of stone formers grow another stone within ten years. So the stone analysis matters as much as the operation itself.
Fluid: aim for at least 2.5 litres of urine a day.
Salt: keep it low, because salt pulls calcium into the urine.
Calcium: do not cut it out, since dietary calcium binds oxalate in the gut.
Protein and weight: eat moderate amounts of meat and keep a healthy weight.
Plans by stone type
For calcium oxalate stones, you limit high-oxalate foods and may take potassium citrate. Uric acid stones, however, often dissolve with urine-alkalising tablets alone. Infection stones need every fragment removed and the infection treated.
You leave Istanbul with your stone analysis and a written prevention plan.
How much does kidney stone surgery cost in Istanbul?
Laser RIRS in Istanbul typically costs $2,500 to $5,500, including the hospital stay. By comparison, the same operation costs $8,000 to $20,000 in the United States.
Laser RIRS, 1 night and stent included
Istanbul, Assoc. Prof. Taş: $2,500 to $5,500
United States: $8,000 to $20,000
United Kingdom (private): $5,000 to $9,000
Laser ureteroscopy, stent if needed
Istanbul, Assoc. Prof. Taş: $1,800 to $3,500
United States: $6,000 to $12,500
United Kingdom (private): $3,500 to $7,000
Mini PCNL, 1 to 2 nights
Istanbul, Assoc. Prof. Taş: $3,000 to $7,000
United States: $15,000 to $35,000
United Kingdom (private): $7,500 to $12,000
Shock wave lithotripsy, per session
Istanbul, Assoc. Prof. Taş: $1,200 to $2,000
United States: $4,000 to $9,000
United Kingdom (private): $2,500 to $4,500
Your written quote covers tests, surgery and all fees. It also includes the laser fibre, stent, hospital stay and stone analysis.
In addition, the team arranges your hotel and transfers. Robotic stone surgery, when needed, gets an individual quote.
Travelling from the US, Canada or the UK
A stone that keeps blocking the kidney rarely waits for a slot months away. Therefore many patients from North America and Britain choose a short, planned trip instead.
Before you fly
Bring your most recent CT images and the written report.
Bring a list of your medicines, especially blood thinners.
Check with your insurer, because most patients travel as self-pay.
After you get home
Your discharge letter, stone analysis and prevention plan come in English. So your family doctor or local urologist can arrange stent removal and follow-up with full information.
Why patients choose Assoc. Prof. Tuncay Taş
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tuncay Taş is a urologist with more than 20 years of experience. He founded Safe Urology Clinic in Istanbul, and patients come to him from over 60 countries.
Member of the Endourological Society and the European Association of Urology
Five peer-reviewed studies on RIRS, shock wave treatment and stone complications
Fellowship in laparoscopic urology at Heidelberg University, Germany
Robotic surgery in JCI-accredited partner hospitals in Istanbul that run the da Vinci system
Read his full background on the About Us page. If a scan also showed a kidney mass, see robotic kidney cancer surgery.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to have kidney stone surgery in Turkey?
Yes, when an experienced urologist treats you in an accredited hospital. Assoc. Prof. Taş operates in JCI-accredited partner hospitals in Istanbul and follows European guidance.
How do surgeons remove kidney stones?
Most often, a thin scope reaches the stone through the urinary tract, and a laser breaks it up. Large stones come out through a small tunnel in the back.
Can a laser remove kidney stones without an incision?
Yes. With laser RIRS and ureteroscopy, the scope enters through the urethra, so you have no wound at all.
What is the success rate of laser kidney stone surgery?
For most kidney stones under 2 cm, laser RIRS clears the stone in one session. Large or multiple stones, however, sometimes need a second session.
How long is recovery after laser kidney stone surgery?
Most people return to desk work within 2 to 3 days. They also avoid heavy lifting for about one week.
Will a 5 mm kidney stone pass on its own?
Often, yes. Around 68 in 100 ureter stones up to 5 mm pass without surgery. Tablets that relax the ureter also help.
Do I need a stent after RIRS?
Often, for one to two weeks, because the stent lets swelling settle safely. Some short, simple cases need none.
Can I fly home with a ureteral stent?
Yes, once you pass urine normally, have no fever and your pain is under control. Most patients fly home on day five.
When is a kidney stone an emergency?
Fever or chills with stone pain needs urgent care, because the kidney may be blocked and infected. Severe vomiting or very little urine also needs immediate help.
How much does laser kidney stone surgery cost in Istanbul?
Laser RIRS usually costs $2,500 to $5,500, including one night in hospital and the stent. You then receive a written quote after your consultation.
Assoc. Prof. Taş's published research
These peer-reviewed papers come from Assoc. Prof. Taş's own work on kidney stones.
Could "Retrograde Intrarenal Surgery" be used as an efficient technique in the treatment of calyceal diverticula stones? J Coll Physicians Surg Pak, 2022. Co-author.
The effects of stone density on surgical outcomes of retrograde intrarenal stone surgery. British Journal of Radiology, 2022. Co-author.
The effect of inclined position on stone free rates in patients with lower caliceal stones during SWL session. Arch Ital Urol Androl, 2015. Co-author.
Are Hounsfield densities of ureteral stones a predictive factor for effectiveness of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy? Int J Clin Exp Med, 2014. Co-author.
Spontaneous renal pelvis rupture: unexpected complication of urolithiasis expected to passage with observation therapy. Case Rep Urol, 2013. Co-author.
Public health information
This page informs and does not replace an in-person medical consultation. Treatment decisions follow your own examination, scans and test results.
Get a clear plan for your kidney stone
Book a consultation with Assoc. Prof. Taş. Then get a treatment plan, a written quote and dates that suit your trip.
