Kidney stones is one of the most common disorders of the urinary tract. When urine becomes very concentrated, small hard crystals form inside your kidney. If a stone travels from the kidney, it may get lodged in, narrower passages of your urinary tract, such as the ureters. When a kidney stone becomes too large or painful, your doctor may recommend treatment using extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL). Kidney stone symptoms can include:
- Severe pain on the sides of your lower back
- Painful and/or frequent urination
- Urine that is discolored, cloudy and/or foul smelling
- Nausea or vomiting
- Fever and/or chills
Lithotripsy –Non-Invasive For Quick Recovery Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL) ESWL involves the administration of a series of shock waves, generated by a machine called a lithotripter, travelling through the skin, reaching the stone where it breaks it into small fragments. Those small fragments are passed out of the body in the urine following the treatment. Advantages of ESWL
- The primary advantage of ESWL is that it is completely non-invasive.
- ESWL is well suited to patients with small kidney stones and performed on an outpatient basis.
- The use of anesthesia does depend on physician preference.
- Typically, an ESWL procedure lasts for approximately one hour.
