Prolonged preoperative double J stenting increases post-ureteroscopy infectious complications

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Surgical Outcomes
• Infectious Disease

Background:

• The clinical benefit of preoperative ureteric double J (JJ) stenting for ureterorenoscopy (URS) in uncomplicated urolithiasis is debated.
• Prolonged JJ stent indwelling may risk bacterial colonization and infection, though evidence is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify predictors of infectious complications after URS.
• To evaluate the impact of JJ stent dwell time on postoperative infectious morbidity.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective single-center study of 350 adult patients undergoing URS.
• Primary outcome: infectious complications within 30 days post-surgery.
• Multivariable logistic regression analyzed 10 clinical variables.

Main Results:

• Infectious complications occurred in 8.3% of patients.
• Significantly longer JJ stent dwell times were observed in patients with infectious complications (mean 63.9 vs. 36.3 days).
• Prolonged stent dwell time (>60 days) and neurogenic bladder were independent risk factors for infectious failure.

Conclusions:

• Prolonged JJ stent dwell time and neurogenic bladder independently increase postoperative infectious complications after URS.
• Fast-track surgical protocols to reduce stent duration, avoiding delays beyond 60 days, are recommended to minimize infection-related morbidity.