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 About the Surgery

E.S.W.L. (Extra Corporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy) is a procedure in which sound waves are applied to break a kidney stone into smaller fragments that would be able to pass through the urinary tract.

ESWL may be used on people with a kidney stone that is causing pain or blocking the urine flow. Stones that are between 5 mm - 2 cm in diameter are most likely to be treated with ESWL.

ESWL may work best for kidney stones in the kidney, not in the ureter. It may be harder for ESWL to break up a stone that has moved into the ureter, although this is still possible. Your surgeon may try to push the stone back into the kidney with a small instrument (ureteroscope) and then use ESWL.

 Aim of Surgery

To break kidney stones into smaller pieces, allowing it to pass through the urinary tract and out of the body.

 How Long is Surgery

~ 1 hour

 Anaesthetic

You may receive sedatives for the procedure which will make you drowsy for the procedure.

 Incision/Cut

No skin incisions

 Description of Surgery

You lie on a water-filled cushion whilst the surgeon locates the stone by using X-rays or ultrasound testing. High-energy sound waves are then applied, passing through your body without injuring it to break the stone into small pieces.

 Complications of Surgery

Failure - ESWL does not always break the stone(s) small enough to pass through the urinary tract. Further treatment with ESWL or another procedure may be required.

Bleeding (It is normal to have blood-stained urine after the procedure)

Infection (requiring antibiotic treatment)

Pain caused by passage of the stone fragments

Blockage of the urinary tract with stone fragments. This may require a further procedure to bypass OR remove the blockage.

ESWL usually is not used if you:

Are pregnant. The sound waves and X-rays may be harmful to the fetus.
Have a bleeding disorder.
Have a kidney infection, urinary tract infection, or kidney cancer.
Have kidneys with abnormal structure or function.

 Duration of Hospital Stay

Home the same day