The Nation - News from March 27, 1986

A popular shock wave treatment that breaks up kidney stones without surgery has been tested successfully on gallbladder stones, German doctors reported in the New England Journal of Medicine. The research team from the University of Munich said that “this new approach may resolve life-threatening conditions in selected patients.” But the doctors said that questions remain about potential side effects, adding: “It is difficult to make a prediction about the future role of shock wave treatment in therapy for gallstones.”