Guidewire type and prior use affects ureteral stent insertion force.

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Medical Devices
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Ureteral stent insertion is a common urological procedure.
• Improving the success rate and safety of stent placement is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of guidewire type and prior use on the force required for ureteral stent insertion.
• To identify optimal guidewire characteristics for easier stent advancement.

Main Methods:

• A total of 240 stent insertion trials were conducted using an ex vivo porcine urinary tract model.
• The force to advance a 6Fr ureteral stent was measured over various new and used guidewires, including Glidewire, Fixed Core, Amplatz Super Stiff, Sensor, ZIPwire, and Zebra wire.

Main Results:

• The lowest advancement forces were observed with new Glidewire (0.18N) and ZIPwire (0.22N).
• New guidewires generally required less force than used ones, except for Glidewire and Zebra wire.
• Used guidewires, excluding Glidewire and Zebra, required significantly greater advancement force compared to their new counterparts.

Conclusions:

• Guidewire type critically influences the force needed for ureteral stent advancement.
• Used guidewires typically necessitate higher insertion forces than new ones.
• Switching to a new guidewire may enhance stent placement ease and reduce complications in challenging cases.