A process of breaking a stone inside the patient body by shock waves is called Lipthotripsy ESWL (Extracorporal Shock Wave Lipthotripsy). It is a non-invasive procedure.

Lipthotripsy Machine

ESWL uses highly focused impulses projected from outside the body to pulverize kidney stones. The patient is positioned on a cushion atop a table and may be given a sedative.

ESWL are effective of crushing small kidney stones (<3cm) and those in lower ureter. The stone usually is reduced to granules that can be passed in the patient’s urine.

Very large stones, those 3 cm (about 1 inch) or more in diameter, may require several ESWL treatment s to break up completely or else may produce such a large volume of fragments that thy block the ureter. This condition is called "steinstrasse", (a German word meaning "street of stone").

Lipthotripsy Machine with C-Arm Image Intensifier unit

Shock waves are produced by a sophisticated machine called Lipthotripsy by passing a high voltage electrical discharge through a spark gap under water. The shock waves produced are focused on the stone inside the patient’s body, which is localized with the help of a machine called C-Arm Image Intensifier. The shock waves produce a force and brittle stones start to crumble into small sand like particles which can be passed out in urine.

ESWL may be precluded under some conditions such as:

Prepared by Tan Jui Kok
Radiology Department Manager.