Laparoscopic Management of a Misplaced Ureteral Stent in the Duodenum

Double-J stents (DJSs) are placed in the ureter to maintain urine flow from the kidney to the bladder. Extraurinary tract displacement of the stents is very rare, those observed in the literature are vascular displacement into inferior vena cava, into rectum after anticancer treatment of the cervix and a forgotten stent into third part of duodenum. We present a unique case of displaced DJS into the second part of the duodenum and its management laparoscopically. A 59-year-old diabetic man on evaluation for right flank pain and intermittent episodes of fever with chills and rigors for 4 months was identified elsewhere on CT of kidney, ureter, and bladder (KUB) to have a retroperitoneal mass engulfing the right ureter with a small contracted kidney with mild hydronephrosis for which CT-guided retroperitoneal mass biopsy (reported as acute suppurative inflammation) and subsequent right Double-J stenting were done. He was lost to follow-up and presented to us 3 months later with similar complaints. On evaluation, CT of KUB with contrast revealed a shrunken, hydronephrotic, and poorly excreting right kidney but no mass. The right DJS was seen in the upper ureter and its proximal tip was seen to perforate the anterior wall of the right ureter, and it lay within the second part of the duodenum. The distal tip was seen in the bladder. Laparoscopic right nephrectomy was done with duodenal rent closure. During DJS retrieval, unfortunately, the smaller proximal end of the DJS slipped completely into the duodenum, but fortunately was expelled spontaneously by the patient (confirmed on postoperative day 10 with X-ray). It is ideal to place a DJS under fluoroscopic guidance or obtain a check X-ray to confirm its position postprocedure. Patients should always be counseled on the importance of follow-up and the complications of forgotten stents.