Kidney Stone Treatment with the CVAC System
Kidney Stone Education
What Are Kidney Stones?
Kidney stones are clusters of crystals, made
from minerals, salts, and other waste.
When you have too much of these substances
in your urine and not enough liquid to flush
them out, they become concentrated and can
grow into kidney stones.1
Where Do Kidney Stones Form?
Stones form in the kidneys — two bean-shaped organs that filter waste from your blood to create urine.
They can also move to your ureters (the tubes that allow urine to flow from your kidneys to your bladder) and bladder, where urine collects before you urinate.2
Risk Factors
Although anyone can develop kidney stones, certain factors can put you at higher risk.
For example, if you are male, have a family history of kidney stones, have experienced repeated kidney stone episodes, or are often dehydrated, you’re more likely to develop kidney stones.2
Male Gender
Family History
Recent Episodes
Dehydration
Diagnosis
To help guide diagnosis and kidney stone care, your doctor may use some or all of the following tests: Physical exam, blood tests, imaging, genetic testing, a 24-hour urine collection, and/or analysis of stones you have passed.3
Prevention
Diet and lifestyle changes — such as staying hydrated,1 eating more plant-based foods,4 eating less salt and animal protein,4 and staying physically active5 — may reduce your risk.
But even if you follow these steps, kidney stones may still form.1
Common Symptoms
If you experience any of these typical kidney stone symptoms, you should seek medical attention immediately.1
- Changes in the color of your urine
- Flank pain
- Pain or burning during urination
- Urgent need to urinate
- Nausea, upset stomach, or vomiting
- Signs of infection, like fever or chills
The Risks of Leaving Stone Fragments Behind
Other minimally invasive treatment options leave kidney stone fragments inside the body, where they can lead to1:
Stone Regrowth
Fragments that remain in your body can serve as anchor points for new kidney stones to form and grow.
Retreatment
If you can’t pass leftover kidney stone fragments on your own, repeat procedures may be needed.
Other Issues
Stone pieces can block urine from leaving the kidney, causing infection or acute kidney injury.
Treatment Options
Watch and Wait
For small kidney stones that aren’t causing severe pain, blocking urine flow, or showing signs of infection, some doctors may choose to simply monitor the situation to see if the stone will pass on its own.1
No need for surgery.
Passing stones can be painful.
Stones stay in your body.
Shockwave Lithotripsy (SWL)
From outside your body, a specialized machine is used to direct high-energy shock waves at your kidney stone, breaking it into pieces. You must then either pass these pieces on your own or they stay in your body.6
No incisions required.
Organ damage may occur.7
Fragments stay in your body.
Ureteroscopy (URS)
A thin camera-guided tube is threaded through your urethra and bladder, into your ureter and kidney to reach your kidney stone. A laser beam is then used to break the stone into small pieces. Some may be collected, but many typically remain inside your body.8
No incisions required.
Ureteral stent placed after the procedure may cause discomfort.
Fragments stay in your body.
Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PCNL)
An image-guided needle is inserted through your skin and into your kidney. An ultrasound device or laser is then threaded through a tube along the path of the needle and used to break up your kidney stones, which are removed through the same pathway.9
Can remove all stones at once.
Requires a skin incision.
Typically requires a 1-2 day hospital stay.
Potential benefit
Potential risk
Experience a New Standard in Kidney Stone Care.
Other treatments leave stone fragments inside your body, where they can regrow, require additional procedures, or cause other problems, such as urinary blockage, infection, or kidney injury.1 The CVAC System vacuums those fragments out, giving you more peace of mind.10
Meet the CVAC System
The only minimally invasive treatment option designed to help your doctor completely remove your kidney stones in a single procedure.
No incisions required.
Lower chances of needing to pass stones on your own or deal with the risks of leftover fragments.10,11
Ureteral stent placed after procedure may cause discomfort.
Small chance of infection, similar to other minimally invasive treatment options.8,10
Potential benefit
Potential risk
The CVAC System Procedure
How It Works
Continuous vacuuming removes stones, fragments, and dust during treatment.10
1. Accessing the kidney
A tiny camera is threaded through your ureter to locate your kidney stone(s).
2. Laser lithotripsy
A laser is then used to break your kidney stone into small pieces.
3. Vacuuming
The CVAC System removes stone fragments during and after stone lasering.
What to Expect
Before Treatment
Your doctor will evaluate you and your kidney stones. Your insurance coverage will be verified, and medical staff will provide any instructions you need to prep for treatment.
Procedure Day
You’ll change into a gown, meet with your medical team, and receive sedation. Your physician will use a laser to break up your kidney stones and vacuum them out with the CVAC System.
After Treatment
Most patients go home, with stones removed, the same day. You may have follow-ups to remove a ureteral stent if one was placed and have imaging done to confirm stone removal.
Less Left Behind,12,13 More Peace of Mind
Gets More Out
even compared to other suction-based treatment options.12,13
73% Fewer
ER visits, hospital stays, and other unplanned post-procedure health events in the future.*,†,11
Nearly 99%
of stone volume was cleared in high-quality, real-world studies.‡,14-17
Frequently Asked Questions
How Can I Find Out If I’m a Candidate for the CVAC System Procedure?
Your doctor will determine whether you’re a good candidate for the procedure based on your kidney stone characteristics, physical anatomy, and treatment goals. If you want your kidney stones to be completely removed, let your doctor know you’re interested in the CVAC System procedure.
If My Kidney Stones Are Completely Removed, Does That Mean I’ll Never Develop New Ones?
No. No matter what kind of treatment you receive — or what the results of that treatment are — it is always possible to form new kidney stones in the future. However, studies show that leaving less stone behind is associated with fewer unplanned post-procedure care events, such as ER visits, hospitalizations, and retreatments.*,†,11
Will I Need a Ureteral Stent After the CVAC System Procedure?
Most likely, yes. But your doctor will determine whether or not to place a stent based on their preferred processes, equipment used during the procedure, and other factors.
* After 2 years, compared to standard ureteroscopy
† Unplanned post-procedure health events are ER visits, hospital stays, and additional procedures (limited to additional procedures likely due to stones left behind at the end of your procedure).
‡ The average cleared stone volume over known studies was 97.6%
References
- Cleveland Clinic. Kidney Stones. My.ClevelandClinic.org. Medically reviewed February 26, 2024. Accessed January 6, 2026. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15604-kidney-stones.
- Leslie SW, Sajjad H, Murphy PB. Renal Calculi, Nephrolithiasis. [Updated 2024 Apr 20]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK442014/.
- Mayo Clinic. Kidney Stones. MayoClinic.org. Medically reviewed April 4, 2025. Accessed January 14, 2026.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/kidney-stones/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20355759 - Ferraro PM, Bargagli M, Trinchieri A, Gambaro G. Risk of Kidney Stones: Influence of Dietary Factors, Dietary Patterns, and Vegetarian-Vegan Diets. Nutrients. 2020 Mar 15;12(3):779. doi: 10.3390/nu12030779. PMID: 32183500; PMCID: PMC7146511.
- Ding X, Du Q, Li J, Ji C, Zhang E, Hu W. Prevalence of kidney stones based on metabolic health and weight criteria: reports from the national health and nutrition examination survey 2007-2018 data analysis. Front Physiol. 2025 Jun 23;16:1625100. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2025.1625100. PMID: 40626049; PMCID: PMC12230011.
- Johns Hopkins Medicine. Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL). HopkinsMedicine.org. Accessed November 14, 2025. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/kidney-stones/extracorporeal-shock-wave-lithotripsy-eswl.
- McAteer JA, Evan AP. The acute and long-term adverse effects of shock wave lithotripsy. Semin Nephrol. 2008
Mar;28(2):200-13. doi: 10.1016/j.semnephrol.2008.01.003. PMID: 18359401; PMCID: PMC2900184. - Cleveland Clinic. Ureteroscopy. My.ClevelandClinic.org. Medically reviewed February 08, 2021. Accessed November 14, 2025. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/16213-ureteroscopy.
- Mayo Clinic. Percutaneous nephrolithotomy. MayoClinic.org. Accessed November 14, 2025.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/percutaneous-nephrolithotomy/about/pac-20385051. - Matlaga, BR. J. Endourol 2024
- Stern, et al. MP16: 01 Steerable ureteroscopic renal evacuation reduces the risk of healthcare consumption events at 2 years compared to standard ureteroscopy (URS). Conference Presentation, WCET 2025.
- Cabo et. al. J Endo 2025
- Johnson, Brett A., et al. CVAC System Superior to Direct-In-Scope Suction Across Range of Stone Sizes in a Direct In Vitro Comparison of Stone Fragment Aspiration, Conference Presentation, March 2025.
- Matlaga, J Endourol. 2025 Jan;39(1):10-18 – 96.9% at 30 days follow up
- Stern, J Endourol. 2023 Aug 28;37(11):1179-83 – 96.1% retrospective study
- Ballantyne, World J Urol. 2025 Oct 29;43(1):645 – 98.4% 1-3 months follow up
- Cabo, World J Urol. 2025 Oct 29;43(1):645 – 98.8% within 3 months