Lithotripsy for Gallstones Cleared by FDA

Lithotripsy treatment for gallstones coupled with a drug to help break down the stones has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Lithotripsy uses extracorporeal shockwaves to dissolve gallstones and expel them from the body.

The new treatment combines the lithotripsy technology of Medstone International (Aliso Viejo, CA, USA) with short-term use of Actigall (urosodial). Clinical studies indicate that the combination can speed clearance of gallstones more successfully than drug therapy alone. The procedure avoids surgery and is therefore well suited for patients who cannot have surgery or who have a single small stone. It allows such patients to keep an otherwise healthy gallbladder.

This new treatment option gives us the chance to treat patients suffering from gallstones during the early stages of gallbladder disease and prevent the need to remove the gall bladder, said Michael Albert, M.D., a gastroenterologist at George Washington University Medical Center (Washington, DC, USA) and principal investigator for Medstone's clinical studies.