Indications and Morbidity of Indwelling Ureteral Stenting

Objective: To determine the pattern of clinical indications and morbidity of Indwelling Ureteral stents. Study Design: Descriptive Case series study. Place and duration: This study was carried out at the Institute of Kidney Diseases, Hayatabad Peshawar from July 2009 to July 2010. Materials and Methods: The study included patients of either gender over 14 years of age who had unilateral ureteral JJ stents placement for various urological indications. Consecutive sampling technique was employed. Patients with debilitating diseases, advanced malignancy and those with a previous history of stenting were excluded from the study. Results: Out of total of 146 patients 66.43% (n=97) were males and 33.56% (n=49) were females. The age ranged from 7-97 years, with the mean age of 46.31 years. Stents were inserted in to the right urinary system in 77 (52.05%). The average stent dwelling time was 68 days (range 14-248 days). Indications for stent insertion Conclusion: Ureteral stents are a convenient means of drainage for the upper urinary tract. However, their use is not devoid of side effects. Stent placement results in considerable morbidity in the form of irritative lower urinary tract symptoms. The untoward effects associated with ureteral stents must be kept in mind when deciding on stent placement and dwell time. Un-necessary and prolonged use of ureteral stents should be avoided.