Development and implementation of lithotripsy for treatment of renal and ureteral stone disease in the early 1980s was a major advance in patient care. Prior to the use of extracorporeal lithotripsy, surgical removal was the most common therapy for retained stones in the ureter and the kidney. Development and worldwide acceptance of an effective and noninvasive therapy for urinary tract stone disease represented a monumental step in the reduction of patient morbidity and economic costs.