We hate to admit it, but proper stone visualization can be challenging. Good visualization is crucial for ESWL at these stages:
- Initially during stone targeting, which needs to be very precise
- During treatment to evaluate the progress of stone fragmentation
- After treatment to evaluate outcome and the possible need for follow-up procedures
This is not always easy to achieve; stones vary in size, shape, density, and can be masked by bone structures and bowel gases. On top of that, stone details can further be obscured by instances that affect image contrast and brightness.
Further exposure is not a perfect solution, as you never want to expose the patient to more radiation than necessary.