Extracorporeal ultrasonic lithotripsy of biliary calculi

: The article analyses the efficacy of extracorporeal lithotripsy by a LT-01 piezoelectric lithotriptor (EDAP, France). A total of 72 lithotripsy sessions were performed on 37 patients, in 2 of them who suffered from chronic calculous cholecystitis the procedure was conducted on the day before the operation. As a method for treatment, extracorporeal lithotripsy was applied in 35 patients for the following indications: solitary and multiple stones measuring in sum no more than 3 cm in the satisfactory functioning of the gallbladder and patency of the bile ducts. In 35 patients the stones were crushed to fragments of various size. In 29 patients extracorporeal lithotripsy produced a marked effect and was the final method of treatment. Six patients were operated on (cholecystectomy) due to exacerbation of chronic cholecystitis in 4 patients, pancreatitis in one patient; total destruction of calcinated large stone fragments could not be achieved after 6 sessions in one patient.