ABSTRACT
Sixty-two patients with gall-bladder stones, were treated by extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy [ESWL]. A total of 3500 shock wave discharges were delivered to the patient in each treatment session. In 69% of cases, fragmentation was not satisfactory and a second ESWL session was given after 2 days. All patients received adjuvant litholytic therapy with bile acids to dissolve remaining stone fragments. Complete disappearance of stones within 12 months after lithotripsy was obtained in 82% of patients with two or three stones. Twenty-three% of patients suffered one or more attacks of biliary colic after treatment and 18% wave entry. Seven% of patients developed gall-stones after complete disappearance of the original stones and discontinuing adjuvant dissolution therapy. Cholecystectomy was required for 19% of patients in whom fragmentation was not satisfactory. The preliminary results indicate that ESWL is a promising therapeutic alternative in selected cases of symptomatic gall-bladder