[Antegrade stenting of the urinary tract]

Double J-catheters were placed between the renal pelvis and the urinary bladder in 20 ureters in 18 patients with impaired renal function. Retrograde catheterization via cystoscopy was impossible. The mean age of the patients was 69 years. The ureteral obstruction was a malignant tumour in 12 cases, a benign condition in three, and immediate postoperative complication in a further three patients. 11 patients were in the terminal phase of malignant disease. In six cases catheterization was accomplished by a combined antegrade and retrograde technique and a joint effort by radiologist and urologist. Antegrade placement of an internal stent is less harmful to the patient than external drainage of the renal pelvis. Large reoperations can be avoided in patients with ureteral obstruction caused by postoperative complications.