PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — Tampa General Hospital has opened Palm Beach County’s first comprehensive kidney stone clinic, aiming to streamline treatment for the thousands of local residents who suffer from the painful and often recurring condition.
Doctors say the region sits in the middle of what’s known as the “Stone Belt,” an area where heat and dehydration significantly increase the risk of kidney stone formation. Because of this, people who live in South Florida are twice as likely to develop stones, and nearly half of patients who get one will experience another within five years.
The Tampa General Hospital Kidney Stone Clinic integrates three TGH practices across the county and Treasure Coast, bringing urologists and nephrologists under one coordinated care system. Typically, patients have to bounce between specialists — urologists to remove or break up stones, and nephrologists to determine the cause and help prevent new ones…