Ureteral stent complications - experience on 50,000 procedures

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Medical Devices
• Patient Outcomes

Background:

• Double J stents are fundamental in numerous urological procedures.
• Despite their utility, complications associated with ureteral stent use persist.

Purpose of the Study:

• To retrospectively analyze the incidence, types, and management of complications related to Double J ureteral stents.
• To evaluate prevention and treatment strategies for Double J stent complications based on a large patient cohort.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 50,000 procedures performed between 1996 and 2021 involving 36,688 patients.
• Categorization of cases into short-term (less than 6 weeks) and long-term (more than 6 weeks) stenting durations.
• Documentation and analysis of all recorded complications, including malposition, migration, obstruction, infection, hematuria, encrustation, and fragmentation.

Main Results:

• A total of 41,369 complications were recorded across all procedures.
• Common complications included irritative bladder symptoms (32.7%), urinary tract infections (14.8%), and hematuria (10.4%).
• Specific issues noted were stent malposition (0.3%), proximal migration (0.9%), distal migration (0.7%), obstruction (1.8%), encrustation/calcification (1.7%), and fragmentation (0.1%).

Conclusions:

• Double J stent complications are frequent and varied, necessitating prompt clinical evaluation and intervention.
• Forgotten stents are prone to encrustation and stone formation, often requiring removal and endourological treatment.
• Effective management strategies are essential to mitigate the impact of ureteral stent-related complications on patient health.