Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy with ultrasound-guided lithostar plus

Since 1989, the Siemens lithostar plus, an upgrade of the lithostar with the ultrasonically guided overhead module, has been available for clinical use. This unit may be used for the treatment of either biliary or urinary calculi. We report on 75 patients with urinary calculi treated between March 1989 and June 1990 with the lithostar overhead module. Stone localization showed a rate of: caliceal stones 33.5%, pelvic stones 44%, upper ureteral stones 9.3% and lower ureter stones 13%. The overall disintegration rate was 86%, with a stone-free rate after 3 months of 78%.