Articles · Kidney stones
Shock waves or a laser scope: which is better for my stone?
Shock wave lithotripsy breaks the stone from outside your body, with no scope inside. It tends to work well for smaller kidney stones.
Shock wave lithotripsy
Shock wave lithotripsy breaks the stone from outside your body, with no scope inside. It tends to work well for smaller kidney stones.
Ureteroscopy
Ureteroscopy passes a thin scope up through the urinary tract and breaks the stone with a laser. It often clears more stone in one session, works for most sizes and locations, and may need a short-term stent.
How the choice gets made
Your stone's size, density, and location, plus your body type, guide the choice.
When it is time for a plan
If you have a stone on a scan or pain that keeps returning, it's time for a plan.
Book a visit with Advanced Urology today.
Questions to bring to your visit
- How large is my stone, and where is it?
- What did my scan show about its density?
- Would I need a stent afterward?
What happens at your visit with us?
Bring any CT scan or X-ray report you have, and the images if you can get them. Ultrasound and lab work are in our Alpharetta / Roswell building, and our urologists will look at where the stone sits and how large it is before talking through either treatment with you.
When should I call us?
Call us if a stone you know about keeps causing pain, if a scan mentions a stone nobody explained, or if you have passed stones before and want a plan to prevent the next one. Severe pain with fever, chills or vomiting belongs in an emergency room instead.
How do our urologists approach this?
Both treatments are done under general anesthesia. Our urologists also look for why the stone formed, which can mean a urine or blood test and a talk about fluids, salt and diet, so the plan covers future stones as well as this one.
Our urologists, physician assistants and nurse practitioners see adults from Alpharetta, Roswell, Milton, Crabapple and Mountain Park at our Alpharetta / Roswell office.
Related video
Two short Advanced Urology videos on getting stones out:
Related reading from our team
- Kidney Stones and Calcium Supplements
- Ureteroscopy With Laser for Kidney Stones
- When Will I Get My CT Scan Results?
Related care: kidney stone care at our Alpharetta / Roswell office.
Read more from Advanced Urology: Shock wave lithotripsy · Shock wave lithotripsy · Ureteroscopy
For education, not medical advice. Every treatment has risks and benefits. Emergency? Call 911 or go to an emergency room.
Whenever you’re ready, our Alpharetta / Roswell team would be glad to hear from you.