glass(noun) a brittle transparent solid with irregular atomic structure. glass, drinking glass(noun) a container for holding liquids while drinking. glass, glassful(noun) the quantity a glass will hold. field glass, glass, spyglass(noun) a small refracting telescope.
Extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy is the meaning of ESWL in the medical context. E= Extracorporeal S= Shock W= Wave L= Lithotripsy. ESWL. It is a non-invasive procedure used to send shock waves through the body to disintegrate kidney stones.
Why It Is Done. ESWL may be used on a person who has a kidney stone that is causing pain or blocking the urine flow. Stones that are between 4 mm (0.16 in.) and 2 cm (0.8 in.) in diameter are most likely to be treated with ESWL. ESWL may work best for kidney stones in the kidney or in the part of the ureter close to the kidney. Your surgeon may try to push the stone back into the kidney with a small instrument (ureteroscope) and then use ESWL. ESWL is usually not used if you: Are pregnant.