That's interesting, I've actually had lithotripsy before, something like 14 years ago. Not sure how it differs from what the article is talking about, but they did anesthetize me prior to the procedure. It might have just been a precaution at the time since I was only out for about a half hour. Overall, it was a painless experience to be rid of that stone. Shame I couldn't have gotten rid of any other stones like that. They are truly a miserable experience, but they did encourage me to fix my diet to reduce my risk.