Ureteral stenting. Indications and complications

ABSTRACT

Hundred and sixty two ureteral stents of different types were used for hundred and thirty eight patients at Makassed Hospital - Jerusalem, from the first of January 1990 till the end of December 1995. 138 patients were studied retrospectively who were in need of ureteral stenting for certain indications and the complications occured were reported. Three different types of ureteral stents; silicone D-J catheter, nephrostomy tube with rat-tail from latex and succion tube from plastic material were used for different periods of time. The age range of patients was 1 - 68 years [average 37.2 years] The male.-female ratio was 2 1. The most common causes for the use of ureteral stents were pyeloplasty operation [41%], ureteral reimplantation [24.6%], urinary calculi treatment either by surgery or extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy [18.8%], ureteroplasty operation [3.3%] and other causes [12.3%]D-J ureteral silicone stent was used in 87 cases [56%], nephrostomy tube with rat tail from latex in 45 cases [29%], succion-tube stent from plastic in 20 cases [13%] and both nephrostomy tube and silicone D-J stent in 10 cases [2%]. The variant types of complications reported in addition to infection, dysuria, microscopic haematuria, suprapubic and loin pain were, uric acid incrustations in 7 patients [4,3%], V-U reflux in 5 cases [3%], Ca phosphate incrustations with alkaline urine in 4 cases [2%], proximal migration in 2 cases [1%], breakage of stent in one case [0.6%], distal migration with incontinence of urine in one case [0.6%] and lastely inability to remove the stent endoscopically in one case [0.6%]. The best type of stents with less complications is silicone D-J stent