Ancillary Services

Extra-corporeal Shockwave Lithotripsy Unit (ESWL)

Kidney stones typically form in the kidneys and ureters (muscular tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder). They can vary in size from as small as grains of sand to as large as grapefruit. Kidney stones typically leave the body by passage in the urine stream, and many stones are formed and passed without causing symptoms. If stones grow to sufficient size before passage—on the order of at least 2-3 millimeters—they can cause obstruction of the ureter. The resulting distention with urine can cause severe episodic pain, most commonly felt in the flank, lower abdomen and groin.

The Lithotripsy Unit of Asian Hospital and Medical Center offers a quicker, simpler, safer, and less expensive alternative to surgical removal of kidney stones. Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL) is a procedure that uses shock waves to break up stones in the kidneys, ureter, and bladder into tiny, sand-like particles that can safely pass out of the body through urination. It is an outpatient procedure usually lasting an hour for patients with kidney stones 2 cm or less in size. Those with stones bigger than 2 cm may require more than one ESWL session.

In ESWL, the urologist (a doctor who specializes in diseases of the male and female urinary systems and the male reproductive system) uses x-ray or ultrasound to locate the kidney stone while the patient lies on a water-filled cushion. High-energy sound waves pass through the patient’s body, breaking up the stones into particles small enough to be safely passed out in the urine.

Aside from being less expensive than surgery, ESWL reduces risk of complications, length of hospital stay, and recovery time. In fact, a patient may resume normal activities a day after the procedure.

The best ways to prevent kidney stone formation is to drink plenty of water everyday and to eat a diet rich in calcium. Although some people with kidney stones experience the symptoms discussed above, others don’t. Therefore, people 50 years of age and older should consult a urologist regularly.

The Lithothripsy Unit is located within the Radiology Services complex in the ground floor of the hospital. For inquiries, please contact us at (63 2) 771-9000 to 02 ext. 8102.