title: Extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy for a giant calcified gallbladder stone. Case report.
abstract: Extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy to gallstones is an alternative treatment to surgery in the high-risk patient with acute cholecystitis. We describe the successful fragmentation of a giant gallbladder stone and the subsequent removal of fragments through a cholecystostomy tract. Even though the treatment required 22 days in hospital and multiple procedures, these were all considered low risk in this patient with severe chronic obstructive airway disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Herbetko
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Burhenne
mesh_terms: D002114:Calcinosis / Q000628:therapy; D002767:Cholecystostomy; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008096:Lithotripsy; D008875:Middle Aged