Lithotripsy Urology, Kidney Stone Removal Hospital in Ahmedabad - Navkar Surgical Hospital

Lithotripsy works in the form of sound waves to break up large kidney stones into smaller pieces. These sound waves are high energy shock waves and the most common form of lithotripsy is extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL).

Interestingly Extracorporeal means “outside of the body”, it can be understood like that it refers to the source of the shock waves. During ESWL, a Lithotripter generates the shock waves; these waves travel into the patient’s body and break apart the stones.

SWL is a nonsurgical technique which may treat kidney or ureter stones (ureter is a tube which connects kidney to the urinary bladder) by using high energy shock waves. Stones get broken into “stone dust” and pass out in urine. If after one procedure large pieces remain; another procedure could take place.

Our kidneys extricate waste and fluid from the blood and make urine, sometimes when you have too many wastes and not enough fluid in blood; these wastes can build up and stick together in kidneys. These waste clumps are kidney stones.

Our kidneys excrete waste and extra fluid from the blood in the form of urine. Sometimes when someone has too much of waste and not enough fluid in blood, the waste builds up and sticks together in kidneys. These waste clumps are kidney stones.

The surgeon places the water-filled cushion on the patient’s abdomen or behind the kidney. The patient’s body is positioned in some particular way so the sound waves could work better and target the stones in an appropriate way. About 1-2 thousand shock waves apply to crush the stones. This procedure takes 45-60 minutes.

If the doctor thinks it necessary, he inserts a tube through the bladder and threads it up to the kidney just before SWL. If the ureter is blocked then these tubes or stents are used especially if there is a risk of infection, intolerable pain or reduced kidney function. After an hour the patient can go home. The patient may be asked to drink plenty of liquid, strain urine through the filter and recover stone pieces for testing. The patient may need to take antibiotics and painkillers.