Is routine chest radiography required with biliary lithotripsy?

Routine pre- and postlithotripsy chest radiographs are usually obtained on patients undergoing biliary extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy. To evaluate the need for this procedure, we reviewed posteroanterior and lateral chest radiographs obtained before and after 107 lithotripsy sessions in 75 patients. In each case, posteroanterior and lateral chest radiographs were obtained as a routine baseline (not to detect incidental abnormalities) before the patient was scheduled for lithotripsy. Posteroanterior and lateral chest radiographs were obtained routinely after each lithotripsy session. Seventy-five patients had 107 lithotripsy sessions on a second-generation lithotripter. Sixty had gallbladder stones, five had cystic duct stones, and 10 had common duct stones. All chest radiographs were reviewed by a chest radiologist. No pulmonary or pleural changes occurred after lithotripsy. We conclude that routine pre- and postlithotripsy chest radiographs are not warranted in patients undergoing biliary lithotripsy.