ESWL: Symptoms, Classification, Diagnosis & Recovery

ESWL is ideal for small kidney stones. However, the procedure is restricted to some extent and cannot be implemented to everyone. It depends on the body of the individual, and the type and size of the kidney stone, based on which the doctor decides whether to approach with ESWL or resort to different measures as follows:

• In case of minor stones, operation might not be required as the kidney stones may pass through the urine on its own. However, one may be prescribed with painkillers in order to help cope with the pain.

• Ureteroscopic Stone Removal: The procedure implements the use of ureteroscope which is an extremely thin device inserted into the ureter to disintegrate the kidney stones there and clear them out. For further prevention of blockage, a stent shall be inserted inside the ureter.

• Medical Explosive Therapy: For kidney stones measuring <10mm, MET cam be suggested. In this, the candidate is prescribed with medicines which speeds up the flushing out of the kidney stone.

• Percutaneous nephrolithotomy: The procedure is performed via a keyhole surgery in which large sized kidney stones are treated. The surgical procedure is highly beneficial in such cases where flushing the stones out is not feasible via other procedures. 

ESWL is performed without any anesthesia and the patient is wide awake during the entire procedure. The procedure does not involve own surgery and is thus less painful and easier for most of the candidates. For the procedure, the person has to undergo an ultrasound scanning in order to help the surgeon locate the exact position of the stone. Positioning the target is done accordingly. Positioning is extremely important in case of ESWL, as the procedure uses high energy sound waves that penetrate through the body and disintegrate the stone into smaller fragments. For establishing a connection between the body of the candidate and the machine emitting the high energy shockwave for ESWL, a gel is put on the body. 

During the procedure, the candidate may experience slight pain or a stinging sensation. In case of extreme discomfort, the candidate is provided with necessary pain killers to relieve the pain during the procedure. 

Recovery period after ESWL treatment depends on the size of the stone, the extent of procedure required, and the health of the candidate as well. In case of the existence of any other diseases that interfere with the procedure, the candidate may need follow-up treatments to avoid any kind of complication. In general, post-ESWL, the candidate may return to daily activities within a few days, but the period may extend to more than a week in extreme cases. Painkillers and antibiotics are usually prescribed to help with the pain and prevent bacterial infection. Besides, the candidate is advised to drink twice the amount of water ingested in regular times.