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Programs & Services

Kidney Stone Centre

Shockwave Lithotripsy: After Shockwave Lithotripsy

What to expect

  • Red, blood-tinged urine is common for several days after treatment.
  • Sediment or stone may be seen passing in the urine.
  • Slight skin bruising may be noticed on the affected side. This will disappear in several days.
  • Mild back pain may be experienced after treatment. It may radiate around to the front and may be associated with more frequent urination. These symptoms are common and decrease in a matter of days.


Activity and Diet after Treatment

  • Full normal activity may be resumed the day after treatment unless otherwise advised by the treating urologist.
  • Patients should drink as much fluid as possible for the first day and progress to the normal diet as tolerated.
  • Plain Tylenol may be taken for mild discomfort, and a prescribed pain medication may be used if Tylenol is insufficient. Patients should go to the nearest emergency room if pain persists for four hours after taking prescription analgesics.

Fragments in the Urine

  • A strainer will be provided after treatment and should be used to catch any stone material that passes in the urine. The strainer should be used for two weeks after treatment, or until there are no fragments for several days.
  • Stones caught in the strainer should be rinsed and then left in the strainer to dry. The dried stone should be put into the plastic bag provided and mailed back in the pre-addressed envelope for analysis.

Stents

  • Some patients will have had a stent inserted by their urologist prior to SWL. It must be removed by the urologist who put it in, once the stone has been successfully treated.

Followup

An X-ray and an appointment with the urologist will come one to two weeks after the date of SWL in order to determine if the stone has been completely broken. The urologist can determine if the stone has been adequately broken and if all the stone fragments have passed. Afterwards, a decision can be made whether or not to remove a stent. If the stone has not broken up sufficiently, an additional SWL treatment can then be arranged. Alternatively, if SWL is not proving successful, then other treatments such as ureteroscopy, percutaneous nephrolithotomy and mechanical percussion and inversion can be considered.

This appointment is usually made at the St. Michael’s Kidney Stone Centre. However, for patients who live more than one hour travel from Toronto, the appointment can be made with the referring urologist.