Lithotripsy is also known as Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL)
The Greek roots of this word lithotripsy are “litho” meaning stone, and “tripsy” meaning crushed.
- Extracorporeal means outside of the body, and a shockwave is a pressure wave created by high-energy acoustic waves. These waves can be generated either by hydraulic or electromagnetic power.
- Lithotripsy is a non-invasive medical procedure using shockwaves to break down stones in the kidney, gallbladder, or ureter.
- It is an outpatient, safe procedure, allowing patients to avoid surgery and resume most activities the next day.
- In an ESWL procedure by a Medispec device, the machine emits shockwaves that impact the stones, breaking up the deposits of minerals/kidney stones into smaller and smaller pieces until they can leave the body through natural elimination.
- ESWL is a non-invasive approach to stone treatment resulting in lower numbers of emergency room admissions, less pain, and fewer UTI infections than other treatments.
