[Metallic stents as a new therapeutic procedure for urinary tract obstruction]

Tube stents are widely used to achieve internal urinary drainage in the urology field. Recently, in an attempt to improve upon metallic stents, these stents were introduced for use in the obstructed urethra and ureter. We review the current indications and devices for internal urinary drainage using metallic stents. In recent years, intraprostatic metallic stents have been established as a minimally invasive alternative treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Appropriate patient selection and optimal stent positioning are required. However, intraprostatic metallic stents represent a useful option to BPH therapy for high operative-risk patients. Only limited data exist concerning patency rates and the efficacy of stent treatment of ureteral obstruction, and the indications for the implantation of metallic stents in these patients is controversial. The efficacy of metallic stents in this situation is not clear, but some investigators suggest that the implantation of metallic stents in obstructed ureters may be safely and effectively performed in patients with incurable malignancies.