Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (KM/RD)

Mangalore, Dec 21: Kasturba Medical College (KMC) has launched Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL), in order to strengthen the department of Urology at the hospital, thereby render better services to the patients suffering from complications related to accumulation of stones in kidney, said Dr Sunil Deshpande, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of KMC, here at the press conference, on Friday December 21.   

ESWL uses shock waves to break kidney stones into bits which can more easily travel through the urinary tract and pass from the body. A lithotripter is a medical device used in the non-invasive treatment of kidney stones and stones in the gallbladder, GG Laxman Prabhu, departnment of Urology, KMC, informed media persons. 

The added advantage of introducing the technology is the department would be able to treat the patients on out-patient basis which also lessens the risks like sedation, besides cause minimal discomfort. It fragments stones which would subsequently pass in urine, causing mild pain, he highlighted. 

It makes the surgery more affordable and would benefit economically backward sections of the society by reducing the expenses on sedation, drugs and other miscellaneous expenses, he emphasized. 

ESWL is generally a day-care procedure and patients those who undergo the medical procedure can return to work early with minimal aftercare and the stone clearance rates are really higher. Thus, the patients who were hitherto had to spend long stay in hospitals would benefit with state-of-the-art facility.