Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) uses high-energy sound waves to produce shock waves that disintegrate gallstones. This procedure is not used often and is generally reserved for those ...

Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is a noninvasive procedure that uses high-energy sound waves to break up gallstones into smaller pieces so they can easily pass through your bile ducts.