Shock Wave Lithotripsy (SWL) is the most common treatment for kidney stones in the U.S. Shock waves from outside the body are targeted at a kidney stone causing the stone to fragment. The stones are broken into tiny pieces. lt is sometimes called ESWL: Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy®.
What happens during ESWL?
During ESWL, a special machine called a lithotripter generates the shock waves. The waves travel into your body and break apart the stones. ESWL has been around since the early 1980s. It quickly replaced surgery as the treatment of choice for larger kidney stones.
Is ESWL procedure painful?
However, ESWL is still generally considered to be a painful procedure. This could be caused by shockwaves reaching superficial (skin and muscle) and deeper structures (ribs, nerves and the kidney capsule) [3,4].
Is ESWL considered surgery?
An outpatient surgical procedure for kidney stone disease. ESWL, or extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy, is a very common, non-invasive method for treating stones in the kidney or ureter, the tube which drains the urine from the kidney to the bladder.
How safe is ESWL?
Although ESWL has proven to be very safe over decades of use and experience, there are potential risks that patients must be aware of which include: Bleeding and Transfusion: A small amount of bleeding will occur as a result of ESWL and often manifests by visible blood in the urine following the procedure.
How is ESWL performed?
ESWL involves the administration of a series of shock waves generated by a machine called a lithotripter. The shock waves are focused by x-ray onto the kidney stone and travel into the bodythrough skin and tissue, reaching the stone where they break it into small fragments.
What should I do after ESWL?
Most people can go back to their regular daily activities 1 or 2 days after this procedure. Drink a lot of water in the weeks after treatment. This helps pass any pieces of stone that still remain. Your health care provider may give you a medicine called an alpha blocker to make it easier to pass the pieces of stone.
Does ESWL require a stent?
Not all patients who undergo ESWL will require a ureteral stent. Based upon stone size, location, or presence of any abnormalities in the drainage system of the kidney, placement of a ureteral stent may be required to aid in passive dilation of the ureter to help facilitate passage of stone fragments following ESWL.
Who is candidate for ESWL?
To be a good candidate for ESWL, you must be in reasonably good health, not have infected urine or a bleeding disorder and be able to take some type of anesthesia. It is also necessary that the stone being removed be no larger than two centimeters and that you have a direct flow of urine to the bladder.
Who performs ESWL procedure?
How is lithotripsy performed? Your lithotripsy or extracorporeal (outside the body) shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) will be performed in an outpatient radiology facility or hospital radiology department. The most common form of ESWL is a table procedure.
