Based on the 89 stones treated by ESWL therapy alone, the factors which influence the number of ESWL shots were analyzed. Stone volume was calculated by summing up the value "length x short axis" for each stone. The value correlated well with the number of shots needed to disintegrate the stone (p less than 0.01). The stones below the pelvis-ureteral junction needed twice shots compared with st...

Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy was performed on 81 patients with urolithiasis (35 patients with ureteral stones, 25 patients with renal stones less than 2 cm in diameter, and 21 patients with renal stones more than 2 cm in diameter) at Kanbara Hospital from August to October, 1986. A 4 Fr catheter was placed transurethrally in the ureter up to the stone to identify the stone position and...

With the widespread distribution of shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) by the late 1980s, this noninvasive technology became the preferred approach to most patients with symptomatic urolithiasis. The extraordinary success of the original Dornier HM3 lithotriptor had tremendous appeal to patients and physicians alike. SWL was established as the preferred initial treatment approach for 80% to 90% of ca...

OBJECTIVES Thirty years after its introduction, extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) is still first-line treatment for more than half of all urinary tract stones, but machines and treatment strategies have significantly developed over time. In this review, we summarise the latest knowledge about the clinically important aspects of ESWL. METHODS We searched PubMed to identify relevant r...

Introduction of minimally invasive techniques has revolutionized the surgical management of renal calculi. Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy and percutaneous nephrolithotomy are now both well-established procedures. Each modality has advantages and disadvantages, and the application of each should be based on well-defined factors. These variables include stone factors such as number, size, ...

Clearance of a difficult biliary stone can be obtained using various interventional techniques such as endoscopic sphincterotomy followed by papillary large balloon dilation, mechanical lithotripsy, peroral cholangioscopy-assisted intraductal electrohydraulic/laser temporary plastic stent insertion, percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopy-guided and extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy. We he...

In the therapeutic ultrasound field, the cavitation frequently forms a bubble cloud that consists of many microbubbles. A method to control the violent collapse of cloud cavitation is being developed. It is comprised of two frequency ultrasound. The first is a higher frequency ultrasound waveform that makes cloud cavitation at the surface of the object. The second is a lower frequency waveform ...

Shock waves are acoustic pressure wave pulses which last only a microsecond and reach a pressure of several hundred up to over 1,000 atmospheres (fig. 1). They are produced outside the body and are coupled on a relatively large area through the skin into the body, propagated in tissue and focused on a stone by means of ultrasound. The history of the Institute for Surgical Research of the Univer...

Shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) remains the most common treatment for renal calculi. In this article, recent literature pertaining to ESWL monotherapy of renal calculi was reviewed, with the goal of improving ESWL results through better case selection. When selecting the optimal surgical approach for a patient, multiple factors must be considered. Factors to consider include stone-related factors...