From March 1996 till August 1997 at the First Surgical Clinic in Olomouc 18 patients with concrements in the biliary pathways were treated by shock waves. All patients were older than 68 years; residual choledocholithiasis was involved which could not be eliminated during ERCP because of the size of the size of the stone. In 125 instances treatment was successfully terminated, i.e. by crushing the stones and their elimination. Only in three patients it was necessary to resolve the situation by surgery. The authors confirmed that it is possible to treat by this method patients with choledocholithiasis and avoid the risk of surgery in particular in older patients.