We performed extracorporeally induced destruction of kidney stones on 72 patients. No complications have resulted from the tissue exposure to high energy shock waves. Clearance studies before and after the shock wave treatment indicate no changes in renal function. The method was used successfully in all patients with stones in the renal pelvis. In none of these patients was an open operation required. Two patients with ureteral stones also were treated with shock waves but had to be operated upon because of insufficient destruction of the stone.
Four years of experience with extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) for renal and ureteral calculi is summarized. Ninety-nine percent of treated patients had a satisfactory clinical result; 90% of them were stone-free. No significant complications were encountered. We conclude that 85% of all patients with stones can be cured by nonsurgical means. Surgical and other therapeutic modalities will still have a place in the future, but an experienced urologic surgeon can best decide which of the available therapies is best suited for an individual patient.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.