Forget Forgotten Stents: Review of Ureteral Stent Tracking Systems

Our objective was to assess existing systems for tracking ureteral stents after urological surgery and determine if these systems impact the rate of retained and forgotten stents.

We performed a scoping review using the search terms ("ureteral stents" "ureteral catheters" "nephroureteral stents" "nephroureteral catheters" or "double J stents") and ("tracking" or "lost stents" or "forgotten stents"). Two of the authors individually selected relevant articles based on title and abstract and performed full review of manuscripts and references.

Nine different studies focusing on forgotten ureteral stents were identified. Tracking mechanisms included electronic medical records algorithms, cellphone, chat or computer-based applications. Rates of lost or delayed removal of stents in hospitals prior to using a tracking system were 0%-13%. With a tracking mechanism, the rate of lost or delayed removal was reduced to 1% or less in the studies we identified.

Stent tracking systems successfully reduced delayed removal of ureteral stents and reduced the rates of retained stents; however, these systems are institution specific, and no universal solution is readily available. Such a solution would be beneficial for the urological community to investigate further and for industry partners to invest in.