To determine whether extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy of gallbladder stones alters gallbladder motility, gallbladder contraction in response to intravenous cholecystokinin was investigated by ultrasound. Twenty-one patients with symptomatic gallstones were studied before and after shock-wave lithotripsy, 12 with and 9 without concomitant litholytic therapy (combination of ursodeoxycholic acid and chenodeoxycholic acid). Gallbladder emptying was significantly delayed and less complete in both groups of patients before shock-wave treatment (with bile salts: residual volume, 51% ± 10% and half-ejection time, 40 ± 5 min; without bile salts: residual volume, 46% ± 7%; half-ejection time, 30 ± 4 min) compared with healthy controls (residual volume, 15% ± 4%; half-ejection time, 18 ± 2 min). Gallbladder motility was not altered in either group 1 day and 1 yr after lithotripsy. The findings indicate (a) that extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy has no immediate or long-term adverse effects on gallbladder motility and (b) that the defect of gallbladder motility associated with gallstone disease is not abolished by removal of the stone.