Lithotripsy ProcedureDescription, Latest Information and Doctors
Learn About Lithotripsy
Lithotripsy is a procedure that uses shock waves to break up stones in the kidney and parts of the ureter (tube that carries urine from your kidneys to your bladder). After the procedure, the tiny pieces of stones pass out of your body in your urine.
Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy; Shock wave lithotripsy; Laser lithotripsy; Percutaneous lithotripsy; Endoscopic lithotripsy; ESWL; Renal calculi-lithotripsy
Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is the most common type of lithotripsy. "Extracorporeal" means outside the body.
To get ready for the procedure, you will put on a hospital gown and lie on an exam table on top of a soft, water-filled cushion. You will not get wet.
You will be given medicine for pain or to help you relax before the procedure starts. You will also be given antibiotics.
When you have the procedure, you may be given general anesthesia for the procedure. You will be asleep and pain-free.
High-energy shock waves, also called sound waves, guided by x-ray or ultrasound, will pass through your body until they hit the kidney stones. If you are awake, you may feel a tapping feeling when this starts. The waves break the stones into tiny pieces.
The lithotripsy procedure should take about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
A tube called a stent may be placed through your back or bladder into your kidney. This tube will drain urine from your kidney until all the small pieces of stone pass out of your body. The stent may be placed before or after your lithotripsy treatment.
Lithotripsy is used to remove kidney stones that are causing:
- Bleeding
- Damage to your kidney
- Pain
- Urinary tract infections
Not all kidney stones can be removed using lithotripsy. The stone may also be removed with:
- A tube (endoscope) inserted into the kidney through a small surgical cut in the back.
- A small lighted tube (ureteroscope) inserted through the bladder into ureters. Ureters are the tubes that connect the kidneys to the bladder.
- Open surgery (rarely needed).
Lithotripsy is safe most of the time. Talk to your health care provider about possible complications such as:
- Bleeding around your kidney, which may require you to get a blood transfusion.
- Kidney infection.
- Pieces of the stone block urine flow from your kidney (this may cause severe pain or damage to your kidney). If this happens, you may need additional procedures.
- Pieces of stone are left in your body (you may need more treatments).
- Ulcers in your stomach or small intestine.
- Problems with kidney function after the procedure.
Always tell your provider:
- If you are or could be pregnant
- What medicines you are taking, even medicines, drugs, supplements, or herbs you bought without a prescription
- You have been drinking a lot of alcohol, more than 1 or 2 drinks a day
- You will be asked to stop taking blood thinners such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), warfarin (Coumadin), and any other medicines that make it hard for your blood to clot. Ask your provider when to stop taking them.
- Ask your provider which medicines you should still take on the day of the procedure.
On the day of your procedure:
- You may not be allowed to drink or eat anything for several hours before the procedure.
- Take the medicines you have been told to take with a small sip of water.
- You will be told when to arrive at the hospital.
After the procedure, you will stay in the recovery room for up to about 2 hours. Most people are able to go home the day of their procedure. You will be given a urine strainer to catch the bits of stone passed in your urine.
How well you do depends on the number of stones you have, their size, and where in your urinary system they are. Most of the time, lithotripsy removes all the stones.
Duke Ambulatory Surgery Center
My clinical interests include the minimally invasive management of urinary tract stones, including shock wave lithotripsy, percutaneous, and ureteroscopic stone removal. I completed my training at the University of North Carolina in 1983 and was an American Urological Association Scholar (1983-1985) in the Division of Mineral Metabolism at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas. In 1993, I returned to North Carolina as professor of urological surgery and director of the Duke Comprehensive Kidney Stone Center. Dr. Preminger is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in Lithotripsy. He is also highly rated in 19 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Kidney Stones, Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), Boils, Lithotripsy, and Ureteroscopy. Dr. Preminger is board certified in American Board Of Urology, Urology.
Frankel Cardiovascular Center
Dr. Hitinder S. Gurm is an interventional cardiologist and is a Professor of Internal Medicine . He is currently serving as the interim Chief Medical Officer of the University of Michigan Health System. Dr. Gurm is a graduate of Christian Medical College, Ludhiana, India. He did his residency in Internal medicine followed by a fellowship in Cardiology and Interventional Cardiology at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. His research interests include carotid interventions, contrast-induced nephropathy, quality improvement and outcomes assessment, and development of novel devices for endovascular interventions. He has published more than 250 original articles and book chapters and has been named as an inventor on 4 patents. He is the recipient of the Michigan Health & Hospital Association’s Patient Safety & Quality Leadership Award for 2016 and has been elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI). Dr. Gurm was selected as one of 50 experts leading the field of patient safety in 2018 by Becker Hospital Review. Dr. Gurm is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in Lithotripsy. He is also highly rated in 16 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Heart Attack, Coronary Heart Disease, Atherosclerosis, Lithotripsy, and Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI). Dr. Gurm is board certified in Cardiovascular Disease and Interventional Cardiology.
The Christ Hospital Physicians-Heart & Vascular
Dean Kereiakes is a Cardiologist practicing medicine in Cincinnati, Ohio. Dr. Kereiakes is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in Lithotripsy. He is also highly rated in 39 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Coronary Heart Disease, Aortic Valve Stenosis, Angina, Lithotripsy, and Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI).
Summary: Residual renal stone fragments remain a common clinical issue following percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL), with reported incidence ranging from 10% to 30%. These fragments may act as a nidus for recurrent stone formation, infection, or obstruction, necessitating further intervention. Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is widely used as a non-invasive treatment option for such residual ...
Summary: This study aims to determine whether combining aggressive intravenous hydration with indometacin is more effective at preventing pancreatitis after a Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL) than using indometacin alone. The study will involve patients who are scheduled to undergo ESWL for pancreatic stones. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: one will receive both the...
Published Date: July 01, 2025
Published By: Kelly L. Stratton, MD, FACS, Associate Professor, Department of Urology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Bushinsky DA. Nephrolithiasis. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 111.
Sweet RM, Raskolnikov D, Sorensen MD. Surgical management of upper urinary tract calculi. In: Dmochowski RR, Kavoussi LR, Peters CA, et al, eds. Campbell-Walsh-Wein Urology. 13th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2026:chap 98.