Forgotten indwelling stent in a transplanted kidney: a case report

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Nephrology
• Transplantation

Background:

• Forgotten ureteric stents can cause serious complications, especially in patients with a single functioning transplanted kidney.
• Obstructive nephropathy is a significant risk associated with retained ureteric stents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the longest documented case of a forgotten ureteric stent in a renal transplant patient.
• To describe a successful multimodal management strategy for a retained, encrusted ureteric stent in a transplant recipient.

Main Methods:

• A 32-year-old male renal transplant recipient presented with irritative bladder symptoms after 10 years.
• Imaging revealed a retained, encrusted ureteric stent.
• Management involved a combination of endourological and percutaneous techniques with specialist antibiotic prophylaxis advice.

Main Results:

• Successful removal of a 10-year retained, encrusted ureteric stent in a renal transplant patient.
• No obstructive nephropathy occurred despite the long duration of the retained stent.
• Multimodal treatment proved effective even with a heavily encrusted stent in a single functioning transplanted kidney.

Conclusions:

• Multimodal urological approaches, including endourological and percutaneous techniques, are effective for removing long-term retained ureteric stents.
• Consultation with a microbiologist for antibiotic prophylaxis is crucial for immunosuppressed transplant patients.
• This case underscores the potential benefits of implementing a stent registry to prevent such occurrences.