The Dornier Lithotripter U/15/50: a multifunctional and multidisciplinary workstation

Since February 1, 1996, we have been using the Dornier Lithotripter U/50 in our Stone Center, first and foremost for SWL treatment of urinary lithiasis. In a limited series of 136 patients treated from February 1, 1996, through April 30, 1996, we obtained encouraging results: the average retreatment rate for stones of all sizes was 13.2%, and the stone-free rate at 3 months was 90.4%. We performed auxiliary endourologic procedures in only 5.9% of patients (2.2% before and 3.7% after SWL). Thus, we obtained an Effectiveness Quotient of 77. These results are compared with those in the literature. Apart from SWL treatments in urology, the system was also used for shockwave treatments in orthopedics, for endourologic procedures, and for diagnostic imaging. Because of the encouraging results in SWL and its excellent performance in multifunctional and multidisciplinary use, we consider the Dornier U/50 to be the best lithotripter we have worked with to date.