Lithotripsy (ESWL)

TREATMENT

Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is a technique which can be used to treat kidney stones. It involves the passage of high intensity shock waves through the skin and tissue layers beneath and onto the stone. A combination of X-rays and ultrasound are used by our specialist operator to focus these shock waves onto the stone.

It is performed as an out-patient procedure and does not require any anaesthetic. You will usually be given some pain-killing medication beforehand to minimise any discomfort during the procedure. Each treatment lasts around thirty minutes and – depending on your stone burden and how rapidly the treatment progresses – you may need several treatments. In some cases ESWL does not work as expected and you may need to explore other treatment options if this is the case.