An Overview of Litholapaxy for Kidney Stones

An Overview of Litholapaxy for Kidney Stones
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What is Litholapaxy?

Litholapaxy can be broken down into “litho” meaning “stone” and “lapaxy” meaning to “wash away”. This is a common procedure used to describe various methods to crush or break down a kidney stone. This occurs while the stone is still inside of the organ, and without any surgical intervention. There are various types of litholapaxy such as those involving extracorporeal shock waves, a licorite, or by percutaneous methods.

Extracorporeal Litholapaxy

This method of kidney stone removal is really straightforward. The person is placed on a table and will lie down on a water cushion or a tub of water. Shock waves with a high-energy capacity are quickly directed at the area where the stones are located. Since this is done rapidly, the kidney stones will break into very fine pieces, which the body can easily remove when the person urinates. In order for this procedure to be effective, the stones need to be located by x-ray, so when the procedure is performed, the shock waves are directed at the correct area. Depending on a person’s medical condition, this type of kidney stone removal represents one of the easiest ways to remove them without being invasive. Thus the advantages of extracorporeal litholapaxy are that there is hardly any recovery time to worry about, it has a minimum risk of infection, and the possibility of scarring seen in surgery is decreased.

Intracorporeal Litholapaxy

This type of stone removal is invasive. It involves the use of a metallic instrument that is inserted through a catheter. This probe will work in a similar way to a jackhammer to crush the stone. The stone is destroyed as the metal instrument pushes against it to break it into little pieces. This is similar to other methods such as nephrotomy that require the person to be cut to remove the stone. However, there are more complications associated with this form of stone removal, as larger pieces of the stone maybe trapped in the urethra or cause damage to the urinary system.

Stone Formation

In general, stones are formed by the buildup of crystals especially inside the kidney, one of the main organs that filter and remove waste from the body. In some cases, they can be passed out of the body without causing any pain. However, if they develop or become trapped in areas such as the ureters (the tubes that passes urine to the bladder), they can cause pain and other symptoms. This is also dependent on the size of the stone being passed. Typical symptoms associated with stones include pain in the abdomen, back, or legs. Nausea, vomiting, and blood in the urine can also be present. It is contraindicated in pregnant women. The procedure for litholapaxy with take at least 40-60 minutes to be performed and at least 1000 to 8000 shock waves are administered in extracorporeal litholapaxy. This procedure can also be used on stones in the gallbladder.

Web Source: West Suffolk Hospital. “Cystoscopy & Litholapaxy.” 2009. Available:https://www.wsh.nhs.uk/documents/PatientLeaflets/5604-1.pdf