In 2011, Vladimir Levchenko experienced the searing pain about six per cent of us will experience — a kidney stone beginning its excruciating trek d

When did your kidney stone start growing? ANSTO scientist carbon dated his to find out

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2024-09-08 15:30:05

In 2011, Vladimir Levchenko experienced the searing pain about six per cent of us will experience — a kidney stone beginning its excruciating trek down the urinary tract.

In between the bouts of pain, Dr Levchenko, who is a research scientist at Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), began wondering when his problem began.

When the doctor said it was made of a carbon compound called oxalate, "that clicked in my brain, I can [date] that," Dr Levchenko recalls.

This fateful moment lead to multiple papers, and a deeper understanding of how kidney stones grow. But Dr Levchenko thinks there's plenty left to do.

While most of this is removed from the body when we go to the toilet, occasionally the salt can become a tiny crystal that grows over time.

Urology surgeon and kidney stone expert Gregory Jack's first interaction with a patient is usually when they show up at the emergency room with a kidney stone in their urinary tract.