Newer machines have made the process of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) even simpler. They can be used without immersing the patient in a tub of water, and the latter can go home shortly afterwards.
Still, some patients may not be suitable candidates for ESWL. This includes people whose kidney stones are in the lower part of the ureter. ESWL may also elevate blood pressure in susceptible individuals.
"ESWL is great but not if you are pregnant, have a blood-clotting problem, an aneurysm of the aorta or there is lots of calcium in the arteries near the kidney. In such circumstances, the shock can shatter not only the stone but may injure these other neighboring structures as well," according to Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld of the New York Hospital-Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in The Best Treatment.
"Another situation that makes lithotripsy difficult, sometimes even impossible, is obesity (if you weigh 300 pounds or more) because the shock wave has too much fat to traverse before it can effectively hit the stone," Rosenfeld added.
.
If ESWL is not for you, don't be blue. Kidney stones can be shattered in other ways.
In percutaneous ultrasonic lithotripsy, a variation of ESWL, the stones are pulverized by a narrow instrument inserted into the urethra through a small incision on the side of the body.
As the instrument reaches the stone, a burst of ultrasound energy shatters it and the physician can remove the tiny fragments.
Laser energy can also be used for this purpose. Another technique uses a snare-like device to remove stones within the kidney.
Ask your doctor about these techniques to determine the right one for you. To help you relax, take Sedamine, nature's answer to a good night's sleep. Visit for details.
