Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy.

Urolithiasis represents the symptomatic manifestation of various metabolic disturbances which persist after elimination of the immediate problem, i.e., urinary stones, and may lead to the development of recurrent stones. Invasive surgical removal of recurrent stones is sometimes associated with considerable problems. Against this backdrop it is not surprising that after development (1974-1980) and clinical testing (1980-1982) at the Department of Urology of the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, a meanwhile clinically proven method of totally noninvasive extracorporeal lithotripsy (ESWL) has disseminated within a relatively short time (from October 1983), first in West Germany (April 1986: 20 ESWL centers) and later all over the world (April 1986: 133 ESWL centers). With the advent of ESWL and semiinvasive techniques of stone extraction (percutaneous lithotripsy, ureterorenoscopy) a transformation of the therapeutic strategy for urolithiasis has been ushered in.