In choosing among the many treatment options for kidney stones, it is important to weigh the pros and cons of each treatment method to find the most suitable one. Commonly used treatments include extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL), percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL), ureteroscopy, and posterior laparoscopic surgical stone extraction and open surgery. All of these treatment options are available, but depending on the specific location of the stone within the kidney, the most minimally invasive and lowest complication rate should be chosen. For stones ≤20 mm in diameter or surface area ≤300 mm2, ESWL is the standard treatment for this type of kidney stone due to its non-invasive, low complication, and no anesthesia benefits; while for larger stones, multiple repeated treatments with ESWL can successfully fragment the stone, although PCNL can be used to fragment the stone more quickly and effectively.