[Tandem ureteral stenting]

Ureteral stricture is a common urological problem, which has a high recurrence rate. The efficiency of treatment is affected not only by the etiology of the stricture, its length, the technique of the surgical procedure (open, endoscopic, laparoscopic, robot-assisted), but also the method and duration of ureteral drainage in the postoperative period. Classical approach using one internal stent does not provide optimal ureteral lumen at the site of intervention, while special stents for endopyelotomy (with larger segment at the area of stricture) can lead to ischemia and prevent adequate urodynamics. The insertion of two internal stents (tandem stenting) allows to achieve adequate urine passage due to the so-called "useful" space between the stents and the natural ureteral lumen, a low probability of ischemia due to the absence of circular pressure on the stricture area, as well as a sufficient diameter to maintain the internal lumen. In this article, publications devoted to tandem ureteral stenting are reviewed and our own results are presented. Tandem ureteral stenting is an effective and safe method and, in the future, can expand the possibilities of minimally invasive treatment of patients with ureteral strictures.