Pilot Study to Determine Optimal Stent Duration Following Ureteroscopy: Three versus Seven days

Many providers elect to place a stent following ureteroscopy for nephrolithiasis, but little data exists on the optimal duration to leave a stent. We sought to determine whether there are any differences in post-operative outcomes for patients with a 3 versus 7-day stent following ureteroscopy.

We retrospectively reviewed 247 patients who underwent unilateral ureteroscopy with lithotripsy, 79 of whom removed a stent with an extraction string at 3 or 7 days post-operatively. These 2 groups were compared with regard to demographic information, pre-operative variables, and post-operative outcomes.

Of all patients, 33% experienced a post-procedure related event (phone call, extra clinic visit, and emergency department visit) within 30 days of their procedure, 39% of 3-day stent patients compared to 21% of 7-day patients (p = 0.11). Within the 3 days following stent removal, 3-day stent patients were significantly more likely to have a post-procedure related event than 7-day patients (23 vs. 3%, p = 0.026).

One third of patients with a post-operative ureteral stent will seek medical care in the 30 days following ureteroscopy. Leaving a stent for 3 versus 7 days may lead to worse outcomes with regard to post-operative events and fank pain.