Ureteric stents: Overview of current clinical applications and economic implications

Abstract

Ureteric stents are one of the most crucial tools used for various clinical conditions in the urological field. Placement of a ureteric stent, for short‐ or long‐term use, remains one of the commonest urological interventional procedures. In the past few decades, ureteral stents have undergone notable technological advancements. However, an ideal stent without significant side‐effects is yet to be engineered. Indwelling ureteric stents are often accompanied by physical distress to the patient and clinical complications, such as bacterial adhesion, encrustation, malpositioning, stent fracture and forgotten stent syndrome, that influence patients’ health‐related quality of life. In the market, different stent types are available, designed to reduce infections, and improve patient symptoms and tolerance. In this review, we have emphasized the recent developments that have taken place in stent design, size, materials and coating. This overview looks at current practices and problems related to stents, along with clinical and economic considerations. Few trial studies have been enumerated in the context of utilization of a ureteral stent symptom questionnaire and various stent models to compare their effects in patients.

<p>Strategies to Improve Patient Outcomes and QOL: Current Complications of the Design and Placements of Ureteric Stents</p>

“…A validated questionnaire called the Ureteral Stent Symptom Questionnaire (USSQ) was developed by Joshi et al to assess patient comfort after stent placement. 5,15 It has been endorsed in several languages and used in studies to compare different types of stents and stented versus nonstented patients. An initial study reported that 78% of stentbearing patients complained of urinary symptoms; 80% of patients described pain due to the stent, 58% described reduced work output and 32% reported sexual dysfunction.…”

“…Ureteric stents help drainage of urine from the kidney to the bladder and thereby bypass internal and external obstruction of the urinary tract. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] With rising incidence of kidney stone disease (KSD), the use of stents is also likely to escalate. 4 The indications for stenting have increased as surgical techniques have expanded over the last few decades.…”

“…Relative indications include post-procedural management of urolithiasis, pain relief due to ureteric obstruction, in partial nephrectomy, in pregnancy and pre-shockwave lithotripsy of large stones to prevent ureteral obstruction from stone fragments. 5 The decision to use stents for other indications remains subjective.…”

Editorial Comment to Transient stent placement versus tubeless procedure after ureteroscopy retrograde surgery stone extraction (Fast Track Stent study 2): A randomized prospective evaluation

“…2 Research exploring effective agents has recently found some successful drugs for improving urinary symptoms; it has also determined new placement methods, such as the elimination of the distal end of stents in the bladder, which might contribute to the relief of pain and urinary symptoms. 3,4 Nevertheless, these methods produce far fewer benefits than stent omission.…”

The Efficacy and Safety of Ureteric Stent Removal with Strings versus No Strings: Which Is Better?

“…With the advancement of science and technology, the management of urological diseases has gradually become less invasive; ureteric stents have played an important role in this improvement. Ureteric stents are mainly used for relief of ureteral obstruction, treatment of ureteral fistula, and posttreatment of ureteral intervention, among other purposes [ 1 ]. Currently, with the wide use of ureteroscopy to remove upper urinary tract stones and detect diseases, ureteric stent placement has become a routine.…”