Lithotripsy

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Kidney anatomy

Nephrolithiasis

Intravenous pyelogram (IVP)

Lithotripsy procedure

Overview

Recovery

Risks

Lithotripsy

Alternative Names:

Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy; Shock wave lithotripsy; Laser lithotripsy; Percutaneous lithotripsy; Endoscopic lithotripsy

Expectations after surgery:

In patients who are good candidates for this treatment, about 70 to 90 percent are found to be free of stones within a few months of treatment.

Patients usually remain in the recovery room for 1.5-2 hours after the procedure and are then discharged. You should go home and rest after you've been discharged from the hospital, rather than attempting to get back into your daily routine. It is extremely important that you have someone drive you home from the hospital.

Convalescence:

Most people can fully resume daily activities within one or two days.

For kidney and other urinary stones, it is recommended that you drink plenty of water in the weeks following the treatment, as this will help you to pass the stone fragments and prevent a recurrence. You may experience pain and nausea when the fragments pass, which begins soon after treatment and may last for up to 4-8 weeks. Taking a painkiller and drinking lots of water will help relieve symptoms. It is normal to have a small amount of blood in your urine for a few days to weeks after the procedure.

Depending on the type of lithotripsy, you may need antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medicines for a few days. If the stones are in your urinary system, you will probably be asked to strain your urine at home so any stones that are found can be sent to the lab for examination.

You will be asked to visit your doctor for a follow-up appointment in the weeks following the lithotripsy. (For example, this might include a kidney X-ray to determine if kidney stones are still present.)

Review Date: 6/6/2005
Reviewed By: David R. Knowles, M.D., Scottsdale Urologic Surgeons, Scottsdale, AZ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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