Kidney stones. How new technology has improved management.

In the past decade, techniques allowing noninvasive or relatively noninvasive treatment of kidney stones have replaced standard surgical management for most patients. Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy is suitable for the majority of patients with calculi in the upper or mid urinary tract. Ultrasonic lithotripsy can be used to fragment large staghorn or cystine calculi and is suitable for morbidly obese patients. The tunable pulsed dye laser is also gaining a role in the treatment of selected patients. All three techniques require only a short hospital stay.