The stone is a hard mass developed by crystals from urine in the urinary tract. It can be found in the kidney or ureter (the urinary tract that runs from the kidney to the bladder).

Stone crushing with shock waves (ESWL) is done by a machine that crushes stones from outside the body. The goal is treatment without the need for a surgical intervention. Focused shock waves (short-signal high-energy sound waves) are transmitted from the skin to the stone to break the stone. The stone absorbs the energy of the shock waves and breaks them into small pieces.

The particles are then excreted in the urine. The success of the ESWL method varies depending on several factors, such as the characteristics of the stone and its body structure.

Before any application is made to get rid of the kidney stone, the size, location and anatomy of the kidney stone are determined.

The medications used by the patient, whether there is a urinary tract infection and whether there is high blood pressure should be investigated. There should be no infection in the urinary tract and it should be controlled with medication, if any.

During the treatment, the patient usually does not feel pain. If there is pain, it can be controlled with painkillers. The patient does not need to receive anesthesia.

The sessions last about 30 minutes and the patient can return to normal life immediately after the procedure. An ESWL device consists of imaging/focusing and sound wave generating units.

Stones are displayed fluoroscopically (with X-ray) or ultrasonographically, and focus is made for an effective crushing. Sound waves focus on the stone inside the body using these methods. In one session, about 2000 shock waves are sent to the stone, causing the stone to break. Soft stones break in one session, while hard stones may require a second or third session.

Shock waves are generated with electrical energy for the device. These shock waves are formed in the balloon filled with water and since it can move in the water, they are transferred to the body through the balloon, and the waves focused on the stone by the focusing process are concentrated on the stone and break the stone. These waves do not harm the body, but when transmitted to a stone of a different structure, they cause fractures in the stone.

While deciding on stone treatment, treatment options are listed by considering factors such as the size of the stone, the location of the stone, other diseases of the patient, and the component (content) of the stone.