Why Do They Put You to Sleep for Lithotripsy?
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3 min read
While extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is a non-invasive procedure, a significant percentage of patients are put to sleep for lithotripsy with general anesthesia or heavy sedation. The primary reasons for this are not just for pain management, but also to ensure the procedure's precision and effectiveness. Anesthesia prevents patient movement, which can interfere with the accurate targeting of shock waves.
