[Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy in gallstones: a report of 109 cases]

An EDAP LT-01 lithotripter was used to treat 100 patients with functional gallbladders containing one to three radiolucent stones not larger than 20 mm in diameter, and 9 patients with bile duct stones. Ursodeoxycholic acid was administered as adjuvant in patients with gallbladder stones. The gallbladder stones disintegrated in 98 percent of patients and disappeared completely in 27, 33, 40, 45, 50, 51, and 58, percent of the patients within 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, and 12 months respectively after lithotripsy. Of the 9 patients with stones in the common hepatic duct and/or intrahepatic duct. 4 had complete disappearance, 3 almost complete disappearance, 1 partial disappearance, and 1 stone unchanged. Shock-wave therapy exerted no severe adverse effects, a mild transient elevation of SGPT, cholangitis, and hemobilia occurred in 4, 3, and 1 patients respectively after lithotripsy.