EFFECTS OF EXTRACORPOREAL SHOCKWAVE LITHOTRIPSY AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF PREGNANCY IN THE RABBIT

Although SWL is now the most common treatment modality for urinary tra ct stone disease, it is not regarded as a safe method for pregnant pat ients because of its potential harmful effects on fetus, Using a rabbi t model, Re investigated whether SWL might cause fetal injury when adm inistered at various developmental stages. Two groups of pregnant rabb its were given 1000 shockwaves either early or late in the gestational period, Time-matched controls did not receive shockwaves, After spont aneous labor, all newborn rabbits were counted, weighted, and measured , and specimens were taken from organs and examined histopathologicall y. The numbers, weights, and diameters of the newborns in each group w ere similar, There was no notable histopathologic finding in the heart and brain specimens of any of the newborns, whereas noticeable conges tion and multiple focal intraparanchymal microhemorrhages were found i n lungs, livers, and kidneys of the animals that had been exposed to s hockwaves early in gestation, In conclusion, this study shows that SWL is not a safe treatment in early pregnancy.