What is litho in medical terms?

Litho-: Prefix meaning stone, as in lithotomy (an operation to remove a stone), or lithotripsy (a procedure to crush a stone).

The body takes nutrients from food and converts them to energy. After the body has taken the food that it needs, waste products are left behind in the bowel and in the blood.

The urinary system keeps chemicals, such as potassium and sodium, and water in balance, and removes a type of waste, called urea, from the blood. Urea is produced when foods containing protein, such as meat, poultry, and certain vegetables, are broken down in the body. Urea is carried in the bloodstream to the kidneys.

The primary advantage of lithotripsy is that it is completely non-invasive.

Lithotripsy is well suited to patients with small kidney stones that can be easily seen by x-ray.

When kidney stones become too large to pass through the urinary tract, they may cause severe pain and may also block the flow of urine. An infection may develop. Lithotripsy may be performed to treat certain types of kidney stones in certain locations within the urinary tract.

There may be other reasons for your doctor to recommend lithotripsy.

You may want to ask your doctor about the amount of radiation used during the procedure and the risks related to your particular situation. It is a good idea to keep a record of your past history of radiation exposure, such as previous scans and other types of X-rays, so that you can inform your doctor. Risks associated with radiation exposure may be related to the cumulative number of X-ray examinations and/or treatments over a long period of time.

Complications of lithotripsy may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Contraindications for lithotripsy include, but are not limited to, the following:

Patients with cardiac pacemakers should notify their doctor. Lithotripsy may be performed on patients with pacemakers with the approval of a cardiologist and using certain precautions. Rate-responsive pacemakers that are implanted in the abdomen may be damaged during lithotripsy.

There may be other risks depending on your specific medical condition. Be sure to discuss any concerns with your doctor prior to the procedure.

Obesity and intestinal gas may interfere with a lithotripsy procedure.