Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy is a nonsurgical treatment for kidney stones. You might feel some pain and. Extracorporeal shock wave therapy for kidney stones uses high-energy waves to break kidney stones into small fragments. At UVA Health, our urologists have extensive experience in relieving pain caused by kidney stones.
It is to be expected that kidney stone fragments will be eliminated in the urine for several days or weeks after the procedure. The pieces of stone may look like sand, gravel, or dust. Most stones go away within 24 hours after the procedure. However, it can take up to several weeks. If you have a large stone, you may need to come back for several treatments.
In some cases, lithotripsy does not break down stones. Surgery may be needed to remove them. For the vast majority of patients, ESWL is performed on an outpatient basis without the need for hospital admission afterwards of the procedure. ESWL procedures usually last about an hour.
ESWL can be performed under general anaesthesia or intravenous sedation. Once the patient is anesthetized, the lithotripter machine is placed in contact with the patient's flank, on the side of the stone. A series of up to 2,000 shock waves are emitted to fragment the calculation. The ESWL is performed under X-ray guidance to precisely attack the calculation in order to maximize the fragmentation of the calculation and, at the same time, minimize injuries to adjacent organs. Sometimes, a ureteral stent may need to be placed to dilate the ureter, prevent stone blockage and facilitate the passage of stones into the bladder.
You may feel pain and nausea when the stones pass. This may occur soon after treatment and may last 4 to 8 weeks.