Principles of Modern ESWL and Best Lithotripsy Practice

Extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (SWL) represents a prevalent treatment modality for renal and ureteric stones. This technology is a composite of shockwave generation, a coupling system for transmission, a focusing system and imaging for monitoring. Over the past three decades, there has been evolving improvement in not only the machine design and settings but also better understanding of factors that can predict outcomes. Therefore, proper application of ESWL on carefully selected patients would deploy its full advantages in the modern practice of urology.