ESWL-Induced Renal Damage — An Experimental Study

Since the clinical introduction of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy for the treatment of urolithiasis in 1980, approximately 200,000 treatments have been performed in the world (Eisenberger et al. 1977; Chaussy et al. 1978). The number of shock waves given in one single treatment varies in different urological departments and the relation of renal damage to treatment parameters is not known. Only a few authors published subcapsular hematomas in some cases and there are very few experimental studies in animals.