The duration of pain after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy varies from person to person and there is no specific data. If the pain is prolonged, it may be caused by postoperative complications.
The principle of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy is to locate the stone by X-ray or ultrasound, and then use high-energy shock wave to act on the stone, so that the stone will be broken into fine sand, and then discharged out of the body with urine. The time it takes for the stone to be discharged may vary from person to person and may cause mild pain or no pain at all.
If there are more stone particles, or if the stone is not easy to be crushed and the particles are large, it may cause renal colic during the process of discharging, and it may accumulate in the ureter to cause lumbar pain and other discomforts, resulting in prolonged pain, and it may cause ureteric septicemia, secondary infections, renal failure, and other postoperative complications, and it is necessary to consider treating the stone again according to the situation, so it is recommended to go to the hospital for checkups in a timely manner.