Follow-Up: "Burst"ing Kidney Stones

The Daily Dose reported last November that “A new clinical trial is using ultrasound waves to break up any leftover fragments after surgery to enable natural expelling. No anesthesia is needed during the 1 to 2 half hour visits.” Now, the Journal of Urology has published an updated article on lithotripsy in the first 19 human subjects. Burst wave lithotripsy was applied with a handheld transducer to stones ≤12 mm, for a maximum of only 10 minutes.

Coauthor Dr. Jonathan Harper, University of Washington School of Medicine, stated that this is "a step toward an office-based lithotripsy for awake patients." This technology is “The first study of BWL in human subjects resulted in a median of 90% comminution of the total stone volume into fragments ≤2 mm within 10 minutes of BWL exposure with only mild tissue injury.”

 

Access the journal article.

Read the press release.

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