ESWL (Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy) Procedure
ESWL (Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy) is a procedure where sound waves are used to fragment stones in the kidney and the ureter. These fragments are then passed in the urine. Which stones can be treated with this procedure? This procedure is ideally suited for stones less than 1.5 cms in size. A larger stone than this does not respond well to this therapy because of incomplete fragmentation. Which stones are not suitable for this procedure? Stones larger than 1.5 cms do not fragment well. Also, stones that are hard respond poorly to this procedure. The hardness of the stone can be assessed by looking at the stone density on x-ray and more accurately by CT scan. Stones that are completely blocking the urinary tract are not suited for this procedure. Stones with infections in the urinary tract should not be treated unless the infection is controlled. How is this procedure done? Preliminary tests are done including ultrasound and sometimes x-ray and CT scan. The patie...