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From a Patient’s Perspective: The Ureteral Stent: Friend or Foe?

Prior to undergoing a pyeloplasty, (a surgical procedure to correct a urinary tract obstruction) I was informed that a stent would be in place for about seven weeks. I also recall being told, or perhaps reading, that such stents cause “discomfort” in some patients. In my mind the term “discomfort” equates to nothing more than an annoyance or a nuisance, so going into the surgery I was not overly concerned. For the first couple of days following surgery, perhaps because of post-surgical pain killers, it seemed the stent would be absolutely no problem. I could hardly feel it. “This will be a piece of cake,” I thought. Then, shortly after going home, I became increasingly aware that some apparently…

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Articles of Interest

What is the “Ureteral stent” in simple terms

A ureteral stent is like a skinny, bendy straw that doctors put in the tube connecting your kidney to your bladder. It helps keep the tube open so that pee can go from your kidney to your bladder.

Advances in ureteral stents

Ureteral stents are commonly used in urology. Every urologist is familiar with the problems that are associated with stents including infection, encrustation, and bothersome symptoms. These problems limit and affect the use of ureteral stents which are necessary, even in light of the problems they can cause.

An Overview of Ureteral Stent

A ureter can become blocked for a variety of reasons, such as kidney stones, tumors, thrombus, post-surgical swelling, or disease. Ureteral stent is a procedure that involves temporarily inserting a flexible, thin, plastic tube into the ureter to aid urine to drain from the kidney and into the bladder in the event of a blockage.

Comprehensive overview of ureteral stents based on clinical aspects, material and design

Ureteral stents are useful devices in urological surgery. The main objective of a ureteric stent is to allow passage of urine and reduce early or late complications related to obstruction in the urinary tract. Despite their widespread use, there is a general lack of knowledge and awareness in stent composition and indication of application.

EM@3AM: Ureteral Stent Complications

Ureteric stents allow passage of urine and reduce complications related to obstruction in the urinary tract. An abdominal x-ray can be used to evaluate complications including stent fragmentation, encrustation, migration, and malpositioning. Chronic indwelling stents are exchanged every 3 months on average. A prolonged time of stent placement is associated with an increase in complications. When a patient presents with gross hematuria, consider urinary tract erosion and ureteroarterial fistula.

Forgotten ureteral stents: a systematic review of literature

Ureteral stents, especially double-J stents are currently one of the most widely used surgical tools in the field of urology. The first ureteral stent for long-term retention was used by Zimskind and associates in 1967.

Having a Ureteric Stent What to expect and how to manage

Usually a stent is placed under a general anaesthetic using a special telescope (cystoscope) which is passed through the urethra into the bladder. The stent are the placed in the ureter and kidney via the opening of the ureter in the bladder. The stent may be inserted as an additional part of an operation of the ureter and kidney (e.g.ureteroscopy).

Indications, Complications and Side Effects of Ureteral Stents

Although it has clear benefits, unfortunately it is not free of side effects. Complications associated with ureteral stents can be classified as intraoperative, early complications if they appear between 2 and 4 weeks after stenting, and late complications, depending on the time of onset of side effects. The most common side effects are the development of vesicoureteral reflux, LUTS and stent discomfort. The complications with the highest rate of incidence are asymptomatic bacteriuria and urinary tract infection. There are also common events related to ureteral stent dislodgement and crystallization of the stent surface resulting in encrustation.

Living witha Ureteric Stent

If left in place for too long, a stent can become encrusted with a “crystal” (stone-like) coating on its surface. This does not normally cause problems although it may worsen some urinary side-effects (especially pain & bleeding). Occasionally, encrustation of stents can be problematic, making it difficult for the urologist to change or remove the stent. It is therefore very important that you are told how long the stent is to be left in and that you know when it is due to be removed or changed.

Simple Stents: transforming ureteral stenting

Ureteral stenting is a critical component in the treatment of kidney stones and bladder or prostate tumours, aiding the healing process and reducing the risk of complications following surgery. A standard urinary stent is a thin and flexible tube that is used by clinicians to allow for temporary fluid drainage in cases of internal or external urinary obstructi

The Dreaded Retained Stent: Our Approach

Retained ureteral stents are one of the most frustrating and feared scenarios following endourologic surgery. Failure to remove or exchange a ureteral stent in a timely manner can lead to stone formation anywhere along the stent, making them impossible to remove, in addition to complications such as infections and loss of renal function.

Ureteral stent complications – experience on 50,000 procedures

However, despite the progress in materials and design, some problems regarding their use still develop. Since the stent is a foreign body, it may cause patient discomfort, bacterial colonization, hematuria, irritative voiding symptoms, and deposition of urine constituents. These issues profoundly affect the therapeutic outcome and patient’s quality of life.

Ureteral Stents – What you need to know

Ureteral stents are small tubes inserted into the ureter to treat or prevent a blockage that prevents the flow of urine from the kidney to the bladder. The most common reason for ureteral stents is the treatment of kidney stones.

Ureteral stents: new ideas, new designs

Ureteral stents represent a minimally invasive alternative to preserve urinary drainage whenever ureteral patency is deteriorated or is under a significant risk to be occluded due to extrinsic or intrinsic etiologies. The ideal stent that would combine perfect long-term efficacy with no stent-related morbidity is still lacking and stent usage is associated with several adverse effects that limit its value as a tool for long-term urinary drainage.

Ureteral stents—weighing up the risks and benefits

The use of ureteral stents is an integral part of the surgical management of upper tract urinary lithiasis. Recent evidence suggests that stenting after “uncomplicated” ureteroscopic lithotripsy could be unnecessary, but what constitutes an “uncomplicated” case, and is this evidence convincing enough to change current practice?

Resources

My Kidney Stone

At the end of your surgery, your doctor places a stent in your ureter using a scope or X-ray. An adult stent is typically 22 to 30 centimeters in length, extending from your kidney to your bladder, with a coil on each end to hold the stent in place. The stent dilates your ureter to help urine pass from your kidney to your bladder. Your doctor may leave a string attached to the stent to help remove the stent following surgery, and may tape the string to your leg or stomach.