[The extracorporeal lithotripsy of gallstones in Bulgaria]

Extracorporal lithotripsy is a new, modern method of treatment of gallstone disease. The effect of the treatment was evaluated as follows: full--fragments up to 2 mm in size (in 60.5% of the patients), partial--fragments between 2 and 5 mm in size (in 30.1% of the patients) and no effect--fragments larger than 5 mm or lack of fragmentation (in 9.4% of the patients). Complications during the manipulation and after it were very rare--allergic in 1.7% and obstructive in 6.7% of the patients. In only 3 patients on operation had to be done. 84 patients were followed up for 270 or more days. In 10.4% of the patients a full clearance of the fragments was found, and in 28.2% of the patients there was only a reduction of their number. Extracorporal lithotripsy followed by litholytic therapy is a perspective method for gallstone disease treatment. It has wide indications, few contraindications, is well tolerated and is with a low complication rate.