Geithner Hospitalized For Kidney Stone

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner went to the hospital to have a kidney stone removed on Friday, but expected to be back at work on Monday.
By Lauren LaCapra ,

NEW YORK (

TheStreet

) -- U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner was hospitalized on Friday for minor surgery to remove a kidney stone.

"Secretary Geithner was admitted to George Washington University Hospital this morning for treatment for a kidney stone," the Treasury Department said in a statement. "He will have a minor surgical procedure this afternoon to remove the kidney stone, and his physician expects that he will be discharged tomorrow with orders to rest this weekend. He has been told that he should be able to return to work on Monday."

Kidney stones develop in the urinary tract when chemicals build-up into large, hardened crystals. Most crystals are small enough to pass through the system normally, but the larger they become, the more painful until eventually surgery is required to remove the stone.

It's unclear what causes kidney stones, though stress, diet and hereditary factors are often suggested as potential causes.

-- Written by Lauren Tara LaCapra in New York

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