Extracorporeal Shock wave lithotripsy uses shock waves to break stones  into small pieces without surgery that can be more easily flushed out of the urinary tract and pass out of the body. After identification of the position of the stone with X-ray or ultrasound, shockwaves are applied from outside to fragment the stones.

This procedure takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour, and is often done as an Outpatient Procedure. It  can be repeated and may have to be repeated for larger or harder stones.  It however is not suitable for   stones larger than 2cm.