Individuals dealing with kidney stones now have the option to undergo a non-surgical procedure for treatment. The introduction of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy or ESWL at the National Referral Hospital in Thimphu is transforming kidney stone treatment. This innovative procedure, a first in the country, offers a non-invasive solution to kidney stone issues. About 36 patients have undergone the procedure since its launch last month.
In the past, doctors needed to perform surgery, passing a camera through the urethra to break down stones.
However, ESWL is non-surgical, which means it doesn’t involve cutting or putting anything into the body.
During the procedure, the patient comfortably lies on a lithotripsy couch. To manage potential discomfort, painkillers are administered before the procedure.
When the stones have been located with the help of X-rays or ultrasound, the ESWL machine sends electromagnetic shock waves towards the kidney stones. The sound waves break down the kidney stones. The procedure usually lasts about 45 minutes to an hour. The broken stone fragments are naturally passed in the urine over the next few days.
The machine can handle stones up to three centimetres in size.
Operated by trained technicians and nurses, the procedure doesn’t always require a doctor’s presence. Currently, there are three trained technicians at the National Referral Hospital.
“Before this machine was brought in, we had to operate all the stones, but with this machine now, we can just send the patient to be treated by using the shockwave, breaking the stone. So it has freed up my operation space a little bit, and it has also made life easy even for the patients without having to undergo the pain of open surgery or having to undergo endoscopic surgery, said Dr Sonam Dargay, General Surgeon and Urologist at JDWNRH.
22-year-old Tshering Lham with eight years of kidney stone issues who underwent the ESWL procedure recently shared her experience.
“After being injected with glucose, I felt the waves from the machine. The process caused minimal pain. I felt much better afterwards.”
The procedure comes with caution of possible urinary infections. However, no patients have experienced such infections so far.
Meanwhile, ESWL is not recommended for people with chronic kidney infections and gallstones.
The Nu 4.82 M worth machine was funded by the government. The National Referral Hospital performs kidney stone removal surgery on about 600 patients every year.
Singye Dema
Edited by Sonam Pem
