Endoscopic drainage of the upper urinary tract: indications and quality of life of post-drainage patients

Abstract

Background and rationale: Urine drainage after renal secretion and excretion requires an unobstructed urinary tract. In the event of an obstruction, and depending on the etiology of the obstruction, endoscopic drainage of the urinary tract is indicated. This study aimed to identify the indications and assess the quality of life of patients who have undergone endoscopic drainage of the upper urinary tract at the Clinique Universitaire d'Urologie - Andrologie of the CNHU-HKM in Cotonou over the past five years. Patients and method: This was a descriptive, retrospective study of patients who underwent endoscopic drainage of the upper urinary tract (JJ stent assembly) at the CNHU-HKM University Urology-Andrology Clinic from January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2022. The English-language "ureteral stent symptom questionnaire (USSQ)" developed and validated by Joshi et al, then translated and validated in French in 2010, enabled us to assess the tolerance of JJ stents in our patients. Results: A total of 173 patients were selected, with an average age of 46. Males accounted for 64.61 % of cases. JJ catheterization was indicated in 51.44 % of cases (n=89), due to ureterohydronephrosis. Etiologies were dominated by lithiasis obstacles in 73.41 % of cases. Pain and discomfort associated with the presence of the JJ stent were found in 27.75 % of cases (n=48). Sexual activity was impeded by pain in 4 patients (8.0 %). Conclusion: The use of JJ stent is common practice in urology, but they are responsible for significant morbidity. In our study, the indication is dominated by renal colic complicating lithiasis. Studies aimed at assessing the quality of life of JJ stent patients remain a challenge, as they very often lead to subjective conclusions and are generally influenced by confounding variables such as age and comorbidities. A better understanding of the areas of daily life impacted by JJ stent use will enable us to better inform our patients, as well as develop new JJ stent models to improve their tolerability.