lithotripsy /lith″ətrip′sē/ [Gk, lithos, stone, tribein, to wear away] , a procedure for eliminating a calculus in the renal pelvis, ureter, bladder, or gallbladder. It may be crushed surgically or by using a noninvasive method such as a hydraulic, or high-energy, shock wave or a pulsed dye laser. The fragments may then be expelled or washed out.
