Extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy for children.

We report the cases of 17 children between the ages of 3 and 17 years who underwent 19 treatments using extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy. Stone size averaged 14.9 mm, with a range of 3 to 25 mm. The number of shock waves delivered averaged 1720, with a range of 600 to 2000. Treatment time averaged 36 minutes, with a range of 15 to 55 minutes. The average length of hospital stay was 2.2 days. In nine of the 19 treatments the kidneys were rendered free of stones. There were no complications.