The use of radial extracorporeal shockwave therapy in the treatment of urethral urolithiasis in the horse: a preliminary study.

The research article explores the potential use of Radial extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) as an alternative method for treating urethral calculi conditions in horses, traditionally handled through invasive surgical processes.

Objective

The research aims to evaluate and verify if Radial Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT), a method commonly employed in treating orthopedic conditions in equines, can be repurposed to effectively and safely fragment, or break down, urethral calculi (stones) in horses.

• Given its original deployment in human and canine urology for lithotripsy procedures, the researchers theorize that it can serve as a less invasive alternative to surgery for equine urethral calculi treatment.

Methodology

The researchers followed a procedure involving actual case studies as well as laboratory tests.

• They worked with two postmortem cases and one live case of obstructive urinary disease, all of which were taken from the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of Liege.
• The radial shockwave device was directly applied to the urethra, targeting the breaking down of calculi.
• They performed an ex vivo trial, using the same calculi which were retrieved, to investigate the required pressure settings that can lead to complete fragmentation of the calculus.

Results

The application of ESWT yielded productive results in breaking down the urethral stones.

• It was observed that in all the cases, partial fragmentation of the calculi was achieved through the Radial ESWT. This allowed for the retrieval of the remaining fragments through the urethra.
• However, to achieve complete destruction of the calculi ex vivo, it was necessary to use pressure settings considerably higher than those used in the in vivo partial fragmentation process.

Conclusion

Overall, Radial ESWT appears to be a promising non-invasive alternative to surgical procedures for the treatment of urethral calculi in horses.

• This preliminary study suggests that Radial ESWT can be safely and usefully employed in treating urethral calculi in horses, offering a more humane and less invasive alternative.