[Piezoelectric extracorporeal lithotripsy. Report of 1-year's experience (350 treatments)]. / La lithotripsie extra-corporelle piézo-électrique. Rapport d'une année d'expérience (360 traitements).

Over the period of one year, 356 extracorporeal lithotripsies were performed in 303 patients with the EDAP piezoelectric lithotripter. The success rate, depending on the frequency (1.2 to 40 Hz) was between 75 and 80%. The treatment was repeated for 13 to 22% of the patients and 15% underwent an auxiliary manoeuvre preoperatively. Morbidity remains low with less than 5% of ureteral obstruction. For simple or small calculi (less than 1 cm), the use of low frequencies (1.2 to 5 Hz) is preferred, making it possible to carry out the treatment without anaesthesia and without hospitalization. For complex or bigger calculi, the use of higher frequencies (10-20 Hz), under neuroleptic analgesia, seems to be more efficient with a shorter time of treatment and a lower complication rate.