lithotripsy

American  

[lith-uh-trip-see] / ˈlɪθ əˌtrɪp si /

noun

lithotripsies plural

1. the pulverization and removal of urinary calculi using a lithotripter.

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lithotripsy British  

/ ˈlɪθəʊˌtrɪpsɪ /

noun

1. the use of ultrasound, often generated by a lithotripter, to pulverize kidney stones and gallstones in situ

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lithotripsy Scientific  

/ lĭth′ə-trĭp′sē /

1. The procedure of crushing a stone in the urinary bladder or urethra by means of a lithotriptor, a device that passes shock waves through a water-filled tub in which the patient sits. The resulting stone fragments are small enough to be expelled in the urine.

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• lithotripsies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of lithotripsy

1825–35; litho- + Greek trîps ( is ) rubbing, wear + -y ³; see lithotripter

Example Sentences

Lithotripsy — using ultrasound to break up kidney stones — is a good thing, whether or not those stones could have been avoided by drinking eight glasses of water a day.

From Washington Post • Sep. 20, 2022

Lithotripsy, the technique used most often by ambulatory surgery centers in the Florida study, costs on average more than $17,000.

From Reuters • Aug. 27, 2010