A catheter system for imparting pressure to induce fractures at a treatment site within or adjacent a blood vessel wall, comprising: a catheter configured to advance to the treatment site, the catheter comprising an elongate shaft and a balloon that is coupled to the elongate shaft, the balloon having a balloon wall, the balloon being configured to expand to a first expanded configuration suitable for anchoring the catheter in position relative to the treatment site; a fortified balloon inflation fluid that is configured to expand the balloon to the first expanded configuration, the fortified balloon inflation fluid including a base inflation fluid and a fortification component, the fortification component being provided in the form of a coating that is disposed on one of an inside surface of the balloon wall and the elongate shaft, the base inflation fluid being configured to solvate the fortification component to form the fortified balloon inflation fluid, the fortification component being configured to reduce a threshold for inducing plasma formation in the fortified balloon inflation fluid compared to the base inflation fluid, wherein the fortification component comprises one of carbon and iron; and a first light guide that is disposed along the elongate shaft and at least partially within the balloon, the first light guide being configured to be in optical communication with a light source and the fortified balloon inflation fluid, the light source being configured to provide sub-millisecond pulses of a light to the first light guide so that plasma formation and rapid bubble formation occur in the fortified balloon inflation fluid, thereby imparting pressure waves upon the treatment site. a catheter configured to advance to the treatment site, the catheter comprising an elongate shaft and a balloon that is coupled to the elongate shaft, the balloon having a balloon wall, the balloon being configured to expand to a first expanded configuration suitable for anchoring the catheter in position relative to the treatment site; a fortified balloon inflation fluid that is configured to expand the balloon to the first expanded configuration, the fortified balloon inflation fluid including a base inflation fluid and a fortification component, the fortification component being provided in the form of a coating that is disposed on one of an inside surface of the balloon wall and the elongate shaft, the base inflation fluid being configured to solvate the fortification component to form the fortified balloon inflation fluid, the fortification component being configured to reduce a threshold for inducing plasma formation in the fortified balloon inflation fluid compared to the base inflation fluid, wherein the fortification component comprises one of carbon and iron; and a first light guide that is disposed along the elongate shaft and at least partially within the balloon, the first light guide being configured to be in optical communication with a light source and the fortified balloon inflation fluid, the light source being configured to provide sub-millisecond pulses of a light to the first light guide so that plasma formation and rapid bubble formation occur in the fortified balloon inflation fluid, thereby imparting pressure waves upon the treatment site.