# 40 years of ESWL: development of shock wave lithotripsy in the treatment of kidney stones
Wednesday, 05 February 2020
13224 Hits
[  ](//www.storzmedical.com/images/easyblog_articles/1346/2020-02-05_news_calendar-entry-first-ESWL.jpg "2020-02-05_news_calendar-entry-first-ESWL")
## Historical milestone: first ESWL treatment of a kidney stone patient
40 years ago, on 7 February 1980, the first treatment of a kidney stone patient with shock waves was performed at the Department of Urology of Munich University Hospital based at the Grosshardern campus. Several STORZ MEDICAL employees from the company’s research, development and marketing departments were present to witness the historic event, which ushered in a new era in medical technology: the era of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL).
## Technological development: from water-bath systems to precise stone localization
In the following decades, stone therapy changed significantly. While in the first lithotripter models a water bath was used as a »stand-off« for coupling the shock waves, later lithotripter generations employed water cushions for coupling. The breakthrough in the non-invasive stone treatment was eventually achieved by equipping the lithotripters with a mechanism for stone localization in three-dimensional space.
## Significance of ESWL: establishment as a non-invasive therapy for urinary stones
This development marked the beginning of the success story of contactless urinary stone fragmentation by the application of shock waves in Germany and around the globe. No other technological innovation in urology after World War II has spread as rapidly and extensively as extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy has.1
## Modern stone therapy: personalized management and current technologies
By 1984, 1000 kidney stone patients had undergone extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy. Until the present day, a total of about 2.5 million urolithiasis patients have been treated with STORZ MEDICAL lithotripters alone. Today, the focus is on personalized stone management, making it possible to tailor urolithiasis treatment to each patient’s specific requirements and needs. For these applications, STORZ MEDICAL offers its customers innovative solutions and a bespoke product portfolio. The electromagnetic cylindrical source developed by STORZ MEDICAL is the »heart« of our lithotripters. It enables in-line X-ray or ultrasound imaging to provide the most accurate in-situ localization of the concrements.
More information about the products we offer for urological applications can be found at:
1\) cf. Moll, F.; Krischel, M. (2015): Die Entwicklung der Extrakorporalen Schockwellenlithotripsie (ESWL) – ein Beitrag zur Medizintechnikgeschichte \[The development of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) – a contribution to the history of medical technology\] pp. 186 – 188, in Halling T. et al. (Ed.): Urologie 1945-1990 \[Urology 1945-1990\], Berlin: Springer.
0
