ESWL, Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy, is a completely non-invasive method of treating stones present in the kidneys, ureters or bladder. In this process, the patient is made to lie down on a water bed, then based on previous diagnostic tests and scans, the surgeon targets high frequency waves to the exact location of the stone. The intention of these waves is to break up the stones so that they become small enough to pass through the urinary tract.

The procedure is done on out patient settings and the patient need not stay in the hospital overnight. The stone fragments are expected to pass within days. In case of large stones, multiple sessions of ESWL are recommended or other treatments are done in collaboration to ESWL.

The advantage of PSWL is that it is completely non-invasive, however pregnant women and people with kidney diseases or infections are not suitable for this procedure.