Urology
Kidney Stone Laser Surgery in Nigeria
A thin telescope is passed up through the urethra and bladder to the stone, which is broken up with a laser and removed. There is no cut. Most people go home the same day, usually with a temporary stent that is taken out a week or two later.
Also called: URS, Laser lithotripsy, Kidney stone laser surgery, Ureteric stone removal
Medically reviewed by Dr Debo Odulana, Founder and Chief Executive, Mezo. Last reviewed . This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Care is decided with you after an examination.
All-in package
From ₦1,500,000, all-in
Ureteroscopy and laser stone removal, one side
Day case in most people. Stent and its removal included.
What the price covers
- Surgeon and assistant fees
- Anaesthetist and theatre time
- Standard consumables for the operation
- Your bed for the expected stay
- Routine medication while you are admitted
- The post-operative review at six weeks
- The laser fibre and the basket used to retrieve fragments
- A temporary stent, and its removal
What it does not cover
- The first consultation and the tests that confirm you need the operation
- Treating conditions found during work-up, such as uncontrolled diabetes or an untreated infection
- Take-home medication after discharge
- Care for complications needing intensive care or a return to theatre
Related prices
Stent removal, if done as a separate visit
₦120,000
What would change this price
- A stone too large for one session, which may need a second, planned in advance
- A stone in the kidney rather than the ureter, needing a flexible scope
- An overnight stay if you are slow to recover from the anaesthetic
- Infection behind the stone, which has to be drained first and the stone dealt with later
If an HMO is paying, the case needs prior authorisation before admission. Bring your HMO number to the first consultation and the desk will start it. If the plan declines, you are told the cash price before anything is booked.
Who this is for
- A stone stuck in the ureter that has not passed after a few weeks
- A stone too big to pass on its own, usually over about six millimetres
- Pain that keeps returning or cannot be controlled with tablets
- A stone that is blocking the kidney, even without much pain
When it is not the right answer
- A small stone likely to pass on its own with fluids and tablets that relax the ureter
- Fever with a blocked kidney, which is an emergency: the kidney is drained first and the stone treated once the infection has cleared
- Very large kidney stones, where an operation through the back is the better choice
The pathway, step by step
- 1
Consultation and CT scan₦35,000
A low-dose CT shows the stone's size and exact position, which decides whether it will pass or needs removing.
- 2
Urine test and bloods
An infection has to be excluded before the operation. Booked in the same visit.
- 3
The operation
Thirty minutes to an hour under spinal or general anaesthetic. The stone is broken up with the laser and the fragments removed.
- 4
Home the same day
Usually with a temporary stent between the kidney and bladder, which protects the ureter while it heals.
- 5
Stent out in one to two weeks
A five minute procedure under local anaesthetic. Included in the price.
- 6
Review at six weeks₦25,000
Scan to confirm the stone has gone, and a plan to stop the next one, which is the part most people never get.
Recovery, realistically
Days 1 to 3
Some blood in the urine and a burning feeling, both normal. Drink plenty.
While the stent is in
An ache in the side when passing urine and needing to go more often. Annoying, expected, and gone once it is removed.
Week 1 to 2
Back to desk work within a few days for most people.
After the stent is out
Full activity. Prevention advice matters now, because half of people who form one stone form another.
Risks you should be told about
- Urinary infection
- Stent discomfort, common and temporary
- Fragments left behind that need a second procedure
- Injury to the ureter, uncommon
- Narrowing of the ureter later, rare
Every operation carries risk. A surgeon who lists none is not being straight with you. Yours will go through these with you before you consent.
Questions people ask
Will I go home the same day?
Most people do. An overnight stay is occasionally needed, usually after a general anaesthetic or a longer procedure, and the price covers it.
Why do I need a stent?
The ureter swells after the stone is removed. A stent keeps urine draining while it settles, which prevents the pain and infection that a blocked kidney would cause.
Is shockwave treatment not cheaper?
Sometimes, for certain kidney stones. It often needs more than one session and clears fewer stones in the ureter, which is where most painful stones are. The scan decides which is right for you.
How do I stop it coming back?
Drinking enough to pass pale urine all day is the single biggest thing. Where possible, the stone is analysed so the advice fits what it is made of.
Prices shown are Mezo cash prices in naira and were last checked on 11 October 2026. They are what you would be quoted for the standard case described here. Your final quote follows an examination, because the right operation for you may not be this one.