Done on an outpatient basis through the hospital's Same Day Surgery Center, lithotripsy uses shock wave impulses to fragment the stones until they are pulverized. Patients enter through the private entrance where the procedure is conducted and monitored by either Jim Rounder, MD, or Mark vanBree, MD, medical staff members at Wilson Memorial.
Music is available as is sedation for relaxation.
Anesthesia services are also available for the occasional patient who requires anesthesia. According to Manager Glenda Mitchell, lithotripsy at Wilson Memorial is always staffed by a registered nurse and a radiology technician, who takes an x-ray to determine the precise location of the stones. The Lithostar System used at Wilson Memorial is the most advanced system available for the non-surgical removal of kidney stones. Since the Lithostar procedure takes only about thirty to ninety minutes on an outpatient basis, an overnight stay is generally not necessary.