• Stop all anti-inflammatory medications and ALL over the counter medications including vitamins, supplements and herbal remedies 7 days prior to the procedure.
• Stop the following medications as directed:
  • Aspirin – 7 days prior to the procedure
  • Plavix (clopidogrel) – 7 days prior to the procedure
  • Coumadin (warfarin) – 5 days prior to the procedure
  • Pradaxa (dabigatran) – 4 days prior to procedure
  • Eliquis (apixaban) – 5 days prior to procedure
  • Xarelto (rivaroxaban) – 3 days prior to procedure
  • NSAIDs (ibuprofen, naproxen, ketorolac) – 5 days prior
• After lunch the day before the procedure, drink a clear liquid diet the rest of the day (apple juice, black coffee or tea, and jello)
• The day before the procedure: Take 1 Gas-X tablet at 1pm AND 8pm.
• Avoid carbonated beverages 3 days prior to the lithotripsy.
• You may not eat or drink past midnight the night before surgery. This includes coffee, mints, water, gum, cigarettes, cough drops etc.

• Patients are usually discharged within a couple hours after the procedure. All patients MUST have a driver to take them home.
• A stent may be placed as part of the ESWL procedure to prevent the kidney from being blocked by stone fragments. You will receive an antibiotic prior to the start of surgery. This will be discussed prior to surgery if a stent is planned.
• Patients may pass fragments over the next few weeks. There may be intermittent blood in the urine. In some cases, the stone fragments will pass without any difficulty. Some patients may have pain on the side or flank area as the pieces work their way down the ureter. Pain medications (which will be given upon discharge) can be used as needed for symptom relief.
• You will be asked to follow up in the office 2 weeks after the procedure with a new X-ray (and sometimes ultrasound) to assess for remaining stone pieces. Please bring all PRE and POST procedure X-rays for comparison.
• Most patients can return to work or school within 1-3 days following the procedure.

If you experience severe pain which is not relieved by the prescribed pain medication, fever above 101°F, vomiting, or are unable to keep down fluids please call the office IMMEDIATELY or go to the nearest emergency room.

Additional Information

Kidney stones fragment differently depending on their size and crystalline structure. Some stones break apart easily into small bits of dust and there may be no remaining pieces. Other stones may have a harder structure and may break into larger size fragments which may remain within the kidney or ureter and may necessitate a subsequent procedure.

Kidney stones fragment differently depending on their size and crystalline structure. Some stones break apart easily into small bits of dust and there may be no remaining pieces. Other stones may have a harder structure and may break into larger size fragments which may remain within the kidney or ureter and may necessitate a subsequent procedure.