The Clinic at Beverly Hills

Kidney Stone Prevention

Kidney Stone Prevention

Kidney stones can develop from waste products in your urine. Kidney stones can form when substances in the urine—such as calcium, oxalate, and phosphorus—become highly concentrated. Large amounts of waste product in small volumes of urine can bind together to form crystals. These crystals can then join together to form a hard lump called a kidney stone. Kidney Stones can be prevented or controlled through dietary intake.

There are four different types of Kidney Stones:

  1. Calcium Stones make up 80 % of the stones and are the most common type. Calcium Oxalate is more common whereas Calcium phosphate is less common.
  2. Uric acid stones make up 5-10% of stones and are common in people who are overweight, have type 2 diabetes, gout, or eat too much animal protein.
  3. Struvite/Infection stones make up around 10% of the stones. They occur from Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs).
  4. Cysteine Stones make up less than 1% of the stones. These are rare and they form when there is a high amount of cysteine in your urine.

If you know which type of stone you have, you can target your diet to prevent the kidney stones from forming again. Get in touch with one of our nutritionists to see how they can help with creating a kidney stone preventative diet.

If you do not know the type of Kidney stone you have, you can still make dietary changes and take certain supplements as preventative measures.

Studies have shown that the following things help you fight future kidney stones:

  • Drink Lots of fluids!
    • Try to get at least 3 liters or 8-10, 10-oz glasses per day.
  • Increase your daily consumption of fruits and vegetables. 
    • Try to get 5 servings each of ½ cup.
  • Limit foods with high oxalate levels
    • If you have high urine oxalate levels, aim to eat foods that contain low oxalate levels such as peppers, broccoli, bananas, low-fat dairy, papayas, etc.
  • Decrease your meat consumption.
    • One serving of meat per day is all you need, about the size of your fist.
    • Replace your food with more plant-based proteins and limit your meat intake to one small portion a day.
  • Eat more Calcium-Rich Foods.
    • Aim to get 1,000 mg of Calcium per day.
  • Limit your salt intake in your diet.
    • Decrease your sodium consumption in your diet. You should aim to limit your salt consumption to 2300 mg or 1 tsp of salt per day.

Please note that these tips may not work for every patient suffering from kidney stones. It is crucial to speak with your health care provider and have them recommend what is best for you for the type of stone you have. If you feel like lifestyle and dietary changes are not helping, speak to your medical practitioner to find a solution that is most suitable for you.

For information regarding our Kidney Stone Prevention Clinic please contact us at: 647-352-3233 or 416-630-1712.

Dr. Ravi Kumar completed his Bachelor of Health Sciences at McMaster University. He then pursued his Medical Doctorate and Urology residency at The University of Ottawa. He subsequently completed a fellowship in Urologic Oncology and Robotic Surgery at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre at the University of Toronto. During his fellowship, he obtained a Master of Engineering from the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Toronto. He is the co-lead author of the Canadian Urological Association/American Urological Association guideline on the diagnosis and management of adrenal masses.

Dr. Kumar treats a wide variety of urologic conditions including BPH and kidney stones, with a special focus on delivering cutting-edge care for prostate cancer, kidney cancer and bladder cancer.

Dr. Ashwin Maharaj obtained his undergraduate degree in Biology/Physiology from the University of Western Ontario (BSc). e became certified through is a Diplomate of the American Board of Surgery and was certified as fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS) and recently recertified. He is a member of the Canadian Association of General Surgeons. His current clinical interests are devoted to outpatient acute and chronic gastrointestinal medicine/surgery as well as abdominal wall hernia surgery and practices in certified facilities in Toronto. He has research experience in gastrointestinal disease as well as surgical education teaching resident surgeons and medical students.

Dr. Diana Magee completed her undergraduate education at Cornell University followed by a Master of Public Health degree at Boston University. She received her medical degree from Queen’s University and completed her urology residency at the University of Toronto. While in residency she enrolled in the Surgeon Scientist program and completed her Master of Science in Health Services Research. She completed her fellowship in urologic oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. Dr. Magee’s area of expertise is in the management of urologic cancers as well as performing minimally invasive surgery.

Dr. Pianezza completed his medical degree (MD) at the University of Ottawa in 2002. He became a member of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada (FRCSC). He then completed a one-year fellowship in minimally invasive surgery and endourology at the University of Alberta in Edmonton in 2008.

Dr. M. Pianezza has been a staff urologist in Sudbury at the Health Sciences North since January 2010. He was Head of Urology from February 2013 to September 2016. He is an Assistant Professor of Surgery at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine.

Dr. Heimrath completed his medical school at the University of Ottawa, his surgical residency at McGill University, and his Endourology, Minimally Invasive, and Robotics Fellowship at the University of Toronto. Dr. Heimrath’s areas of expertise include the management of complex kidney stones and urologic cancers as well as performing minimally invasive surgery. Since 2016, Dr. Heimrath has worked overseas in Malawi and Rwanda to explore opportunities to build urologic and surgical capacity in the developing world. He is a partner in the Urology Global Surgery initiative at the University of Toronto and holds a lecturer appointment with the University of Toronto.

Endoscopy

Procedures & Conditions Treated

SIBO for IBS

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is a clinical condition characterized by a malabsorption syndrome due to an increase in microorganisms within the small intestine.

Gastric ballon

The Clinic at Beverly Hills offers patients the option between two industry leading gastric balloon procedures. The traditional endoscopy guided Orbera Gastric Balloon and the revolutionary swallowable Allurion Gastric Balloon.

Laser Hemorrhoid Treatment

Hemorrhoids are a natural part of the human body and, when healthy, assist with the closure of the anus.

Hemorrhoids are vascular cushions that move blood to and from the anus and help support the function of the sphincter. Most people think of hemorrhoids as the disorder known as hemorrhoids or piles.

Stress Urinary Incontinence

Stress Urinary incontinence (SUI) means the uncontrollable loss of urine – an involuntary loss or leakage of urine during precipitating activities like coughing, laughing, sneezing, straining, exercising etc. Early signs of SUI are complaints relating to dysuria, frequency, and urgency. At TCBH Surgical Centre, we offer two treatment options for Stress Urinary Incontinence.

iTind

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a condition in which your prostate grows in size. Your prostate is a gland that rests below your bladder and in front of your rectum. It’s about the size of a walnut, and it surrounds part of your urethra. Your urethra is a tube that carries urine and sperm (ejaculate) out of your body. If your prostate grows in size, it can prevent urine and ejaculation from passing through your urethra. BPH is not cancerous. However, symptoms of BPH may indicate more serious conditions, including prostate cancer. TCBH Surgical Centre provides two treatment options.

Rezum Water Therapy

How The Rezum™ Water Vapor Therapy Works

  • RezumTM Water Vapor Therapy is a novel technology that helps people who are suffering from BPH symptoms.
  • In each application, sterile water vapor is released to the targeted prostate tissue. When the steam turns back into the water, all the stored energy is released, causing the cells to die.
  • Over time, your body’s natural healing response removes the dead cells, shrinking the prostate. With the extra tissue removed, the urethra opens, reducing BPH symptoms.
  • The maximum benefit may occur within three months.
    Patients’ responses to treatment can and do vary.

Nanoknife for Prostate Cancer

NanoKnife or Irreversible Electroporation (IRE) consists of placing a number of electrodes into the prostate to surround the area of significant cancer.

Short pulses of electricity using very high voltage are passed between the electrodes. This causes micropores to occur in all cells, including the cancer cells, which lead to their death.

Dr. Luke Fazio is the current Chief of Urology at Humber River Hospital. Dr. Fazio received his medical degree from McGill University in 1999. Following this, he finished his Endourology and Minimally Invasive fellowship at the University of Toronto. As the Urology Medical Director, he has brought many minimally invasive programs to TCBH and is working on future projects. He currently sits on numerous committees and is an advocate for innovation in healthcare. He is the physician lead for the Da Vinci Robotic Surgery Program. He also is the Chair of the Innovation Committee.

Dr. Bhargava has a primary focus of providing care for her patients in the form of minimally invasive procedures and cutting edge technology. She is the Medical Director of TCBH Surgical Centre (The Clinic at Beverly Hills Healthcare) and has been instrumental in bringing Laser Hemorrhoid Treatment to her Centre.

Achievements:
Dr. Bhargava completed both her medical school and surgical residency at the University of Western Ontario. In addition to her Bariatric fellowship, she has also completed Minimally Invasive fellowship at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio.
Dr. Bhargava has published multiple research papers and lead articles.

Memberships:
Canadian Medical Association, Canadian Association of General Surgeons, Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, and American Society of Bariatric Surgery