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Lithotripsy is a procedure involving the physical destruction of hardened masses like kidney stones, [1] bezoars [2] or gallstones, which may be done non-invasively. The term is derived from the Greek words meaning "breaking (or pulverizing) stones" ( litho- + τρίψω [tripso]).
Electrohydraulic Lithotripsy (EHL) is a medical procedure which uses targeted shockwaves to break up kidney stones and gallstones. [1] This form of extracorporeal lithotripsy is unique in that the shockwaves are produced by a vaporization bubble expanding and collapsing repeatedly, creating a pressure wave. [ 1 ]
In rare cases when surgery is not possible, medication can be used to dissolve the stones or lithotripsy can be used to break them down. [7] In developed countries, 10–15% of adults experience gallstones. [4] Gallbladder and biliary-related diseases occurred in about 104 million people (1.6% of people) in 2013 and resulted in 106,000 deaths.
Some of the passed fragments of a 1-cm calcium oxalate stone that was smashed using lithotripsy. The most common use of extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) is for lithotripsy to treat kidney stones [3] (urinary calculosis) and biliary calculi (stones in the gallbladder or in the liver) using an acoustic pulse.
This is often utilized to break up calculi such as kidney stones and gallstones into pieces small enough to be passed from the body without undue difficulty, a procedure known as lithotripsy. The success of lithotripsy depends on the size and location of the stone, and the patient's age. [10] Oncology
If the patient must have the gallbladder removed for gallstones, the surgeon may choose to proceed with the surgery, and obtain a cholangiogram during the surgery. If the cholangiogram shows a stone in the bile duct, the surgeon may attempt to treat the problem by flushing the stone into the intestine or retrieve the stone back through the ...
Lithotomy differs from lithotripsy, where the stones are crushed either by a minimally invasive probe inserted through the exit canal, or by an acoustic pulse (extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy), which is a non-invasive procedure. Because of these less invasive procedures, the use of lithotomy has decreased significantly in the modern era.
For most people, recommendations are to reduce blood pressure to less than or equal to somewhere between 140/90 mmHg and 160/100 mmHg. [2] In general, for people with elevated blood pressure, attempting to achieve lower levels of blood pressure than the recommended 140/90 mmHg will create more harm than benefits, [3] in particular for older people. [4]