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Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy: What is new?
Christian Bach1, Theocharis Karaolides1, Noor Buchholz1
1Endourology and Stone Services, Barts and The London NHS Trust, United Kingdom.
Extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) remains a primary treatment for urinary stones. Recent advancements in technology and refined protocols enhance treatment effectiveness and patient selection for better outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Urology
- Nephrology
- Medical Technology
Background:
- Extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) is a cornerstone treatment for urinary tract stones.
- Despite its long history, ESWL technology and treatment strategies have continuously evolved.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the latest advancements in ESWL technology and treatment protocols.
- To summarize clinically relevant aspects of modern ESWL for urinary stone management.
Main Methods:
- Literature search of PubMed.
- Consultation of European Association of Urology guidelines.
- Review of standard urological textbooks.
Main Results:
- New ESWL technologies include twin-head generators, wide-focus systems, improved coupling, and automated tracking.
- Refined indications improve patient selection, identifying those likely to respond to ESWL.
- Optimized protocols involve lower shock-wave rates, better coupling, abdominal compression, power ramping, and medical expulsion therapy.
Conclusions:
- Emerging ESWL technologies show promise for increasing stone-free rates.
- Adherence to refined indications and optimized treatment protocols is crucial for achieving optimal ESWL results.
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Shock Waves
When the source's speed approaches the speed of sound, constructive interference between successive wavefronts emitted by the source occurs immediately behind it. Initially, scientists believed that this constructive interference would result in such high...

