What is lithotripsy for gallstones?
Lithotripsy is a nonsurgical procedure to crush stones inside your gallbladder. A lithotripsy machine focuses sound waves against the gallstones to break them into smaller pieces that can pass out of your gallbladder through the bile ducts into the small intestine. The gallbladder is shaped like a balloon and holds bile. Bile is produced by the liver and helps with digestion of fats in the intestinal tract. Bile can create a sediment that forms gallstones. These stones can remain loose in your gallbladder or block the gallbladder or get stuck in the common bile duct. Or they may enter the intestine and be passed out of your body in a bowel movement. If the stones clog the gallbladder neck, the flow of bile will be partially blocked. A gallbladder blocked by a stone can become painful, swollen, infected, or scarred. Gallstones can cause inflammation of the pancreas and liver, causing jaundice. They can cause life-threatening problems.
