Treatment success is a big issue in extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) for kidney stones, especially since German insurances pay for only one treatment session. Thus, Professor Wolf F. Wieland, MD, Director of Urology, University Clinic Regensburg at Caritas Hospital St. Josef, highly appreciates LITHOSKOP’s treatment efficiency: “We see a much higher rate of complete stone disintegration after one treatment – without increased pain for the patient. Except for children, we only need general anaesthesia in exceptional cases.”

Additionally, LITHOSKOP’s flexible positioning options speed up workflow for his staff. The shockwave head and digital X-ray unit move around the patient in the required position. “We save a lot of time that we used to spend for complex patient positioning and repositioning,” states Wieland. More patients could therefore be treated. Plus, he adds, “the supine position is more comfortable for the patient compared to the sometimes cumbersome arrangements that would be necessary to reach the target with less flexible systems.” Thanks to LITHOSKOP, equipped with both X-ray and ultrasound, stones can easily be localized prior to treatment, and treatment success evaluated immediately afterwards. “With the ultrasound unit, we can also localize stones that are invisible on X-ray, like radiolucent stones or most ureteral stones,” says Wieland.

Wieland does not use LITHOSKOP for other urology procedures such as retrograde cystoscopy, though these are easily possible with the system, because his department also has two Uroskop systems. However, he still increased his referral base even beyond urologists and, together with orthopedic surgeons, offers pain therapy for orthopedic issues such as the typical tennis elbow. “You would want to look for alternatives prior to cortisone treatment,” he says. Wieland also plans to engage in treatment of scar tissue together with plastic surgeons. Both applications are only possible thanks to LITHOSKOP’s flexibility. “We can not afford standstill of the system,” Wieland states.