In the years since its development in West Gennany and particularly since its arrival in the United States, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL') has become the treatment of choice for most cases of urinary lithiasis. The fIrst shock wave lithotripsy patient in the U.S. was treated with a Domier HM3 in February of 1984 at the Methodist Hospital of Indiana. In response to the great enthusiasm generated by this new treatment modality, the following year the MHI presented its fIrst symposium on shock wave lithotripsy. Each year the meeting generated more and more interest. Following the...