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A Shockingly Painless Approach to Kidney Stones
Lithotripsy provides a Point Pleasant Monsignor an efficient outpatient solution.
"The pain was like a punch in the
back," says Monsignor Raymond
Pollard, referring to the pain
brought on by a recent bout with kidney
stones. Monsignor Pollard, 81, retired
to Point Pleasant after being the pastor
at the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes
in Mountainside, N.J., for 18 years. The
pain and discomfort drove him to ask a parishioner and his
primary care doctor,
Richard Murachanian,
M.D., of Point Pleasant,
for a referral. They both
recommended Gary Linn, M.D., a urologist at Ocean
Medical Center.
"All stones are formed
in the kidney," explains
Dr. Linn. Typically, kidney
stones do not have signs or
symptoms unless they are
large, cause a blockage or
an infection, or are being
passed from the body. If one
of these problems occurs,
the most common symptom
is the intense pain that the
Monsignor described. Other
signs and symptoms may
include blood in the urine,
nausea and vomiting, a
persistent urge to urinate, or
even fever and chills, if an
infection is present.
Breaking Up the Stone
Dr. Linn’s evaluation
revealed a large stone in
the Monsignor’s kidney, which
was too large to pass into the
ureter. "Since I was concerned
about a possible infection
developing in his kidney, I recommended
lithotripsy to help the Monsignor pass the
smaller fragments naturally," notes Dr. Linn.
Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy,
an outpatient procedure, is now the most
frequently used procedure for the treatment
of kidney stones. Lithotripsy technology uses
shock waves to break kidney stones into tiny pieces, so they can be more easily passed
through the urinary tract.
"Lithotripsy is a painless procedure. The
technician positioned me on the table, the
anesthesiologist provided a light sedative,
and Dr. Linn was there to oversee the entire
treatment," recalls Monsignor Pollard.
An Easy Solution for a Recuring Problem
Unfortunately for the Monsignor, he regularly
forms kidney stones. "It’s in my family.
I’ve had problems with kidney stones from
as far back as 1978." But luckily, he now
has a physician he trusts and an option that
gets him in and out of the hospital in the
same day with minimal pain. "I have confidence
in Dr. Linn and the staff at Ocean
Medical Center. The atmosphere is nice,
nonthreatening, and very professional —
and with lithotripsy, the results are quick."
These compliments come from someone
with years of hospital experience, as
well. Monsignor Pollard is very familiar
with hospitals because of his past responsibilities
as the director of hospitals in
the archdiocese of Newark from 1964
to 1978. He even served as chairman of
the Board of Trustees for the New Jersey
Hospital Association in 1974 and 1975.
"What I noticed about the staff at Ocean
Medical Center was that they were intelligent,
welcoming, cordial, and they made it
easier for me — they kept things flowing."
 – Anne Marie Keevins
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