The Social Security Institute (IPS) of Paraguay has made a lithotripter available to its insured people, through the Urology service of the Ingavi Hospital, the first in the country’s health system.
A lithotripter is a medical instrument that treats kidney stones. It uses shock waves or lasers to break stones into smaller pieces.
The aforementioned equipment will be the first with this type of technology in Paraguay and the 3rd in the region. Previously, this type of equipment was only available in Chile and Brazil.
The total investment by IPS is US$1.5 million, and it aims to provide a faster, outpatient service to eliminate kidney stones.
The other technological investment refers to a 3D 4K surgical, laparoscopic and endoscopic tower; which allows medical practitioners to see in 3 dimensions and makes the surgery much more precise, avoiding minor complications; less bleeding, more precision in the points and is used exclusively for highly complex urological surgeries such as radical prostatectomy performed in patients with prostate cancer, radical or partial nephrectomies in kidney tumors and reconstructive surgeries, which are more complex to perform with conventional equipment.
With this new technology, the IPS has stated it aims to minimise operating costs, as well as medications and hospital stays in addition to rest periods.
