6 hours of fasting is required before the procedure. Since fasting also reduces intestinal gases, the stones can be seen more clearly and focused correctly.
How is the procedure done?
Your child will be laid on his back on the lithotripsy table, and the vein will be placed on the stone crushing table. He/she will be given medication (anesthesia) for his/her path and breathing and he/she will be put to sleep. After the stone is focused, shock waves will begin to be applied. The process will continue from low energy to medium energy, suitable for children. Your child will not feel pain during the procedure.
In children, lithotripsy is performed by hitting 60 beats per minute and a maximum of 2000 shock waves in total. This number of hits is determined according to the size and hardness level of the stone. The procedure takes approximately 40 minutes. The fracture and displacement of the stone will be monitored by your doctor with ultrasound between every 500 beats.
What is done after the procedure?
The stone breaking procedure is an outpatient procedure. It is a treatment and most of the time you do not need to be hospitalized. However, since it requires general anesthesia, your child will be kept under control (observation) in the hospital for 4-6 hours. In the days and weeks after the procedure, it is necessary to make your child drink plenty of water to prevent the broken stone pieces from falling off. You will be called for a check-up with a urinary ultrasound 1-2 weeks after the stone crushing procedure. Your treatment and follow-up will be rearranged depending on whether the cups are broken or not, if so, the size and location of the pieces, and whether there is an obstruction or infection. If necessary, lithotripsy and/or drug treatment will be continued again (2nd session). If the broken pieces block the urinary tract, it may be necessary to break and remove large pieces again with an additional closed surgery. Some stones may not be broken by ESWL, in which case ESWL treatment may be terminated and another treatment method prescribed by your doctor may be recommended.
What is stone breaking (ESWL)?
Surgical intervention. It is the process of breaking the shock waves created outside the body by hitting the stone. However, ESWL, which is a painful procedure that requires immobility to focus correctly on the stone, requires general anesthesia in children.
What are the risks and complications?
General anesthesia and radiation. It is a process performed under . There may be undesirable side effects (complications) related to these. Bloody urine, bleeding in and around the kidney, and redness, bleeding, and peeling of the skin where it is applied may occur. The broken pieces of the stones may not pass and cause blockage and infection in the kidney or urinary tract. In this case, additional surgeries may be required to remove stone fragments.
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