How Long Do Kidney Stones Last? Kidney stones, impacting nearly one in 10 Americans each year, present a common and often painful condition that requires essential knowledge for effective management. What is a Kidney Stone? Renal calculi, or kidney stones, are solid formations that originate in the kidneys. They develop when certain waste products struggle to dissolve properly in urine, leading to the creation of crystals due to an imbalance in waste and urine volume ...