[Study of the safety of double J ureteric stents].

Introduction: Endoscopic placement of ureteric stents was first described in 1967 by Zimskind. Few studies have evaluated the impact of double J ureteric stents on the patient's quality of life. This prospective study was designed to evaluate the safety and morbidity associated with ureteric stents.

Patients And Methods: From February 2001 to June 2003, 115 patients (64 men and 51 women; mean age: 49.5 years [range: 19-90]) were included in this study. Ureteric stents were placed under general anaesthesia for urolithiasis (80 cases), ureteroplasty (25 cases) and extrinsic ureteric compression (10 cases). 28 cm 7F polyurethane stents were used in every case. Patients with double J stent for renal transplantation or pregnancy were excluded. The safety of stents was evaluated on the day of removal by a questionnaire based on a 100 mm visual analogue scale (VAS).

Results: The mean duration of stenting was 91.8 days (range: 10-287). Macroscopic haematuria was reported in 56% of cases, dysuria was reported in 36% of cases and urgency was reported in 78% of cases. The mean score on the VAS was 44 (0-100) for global impression, 41 (0-100) for bladder pain, 41 (0100) for low back pain, 62 (2-100) for low back pain during micturition and 32 (0-100) for straining on the stent.

Conclusions: Double J stents are associated with high morbidity, which is sometimes underestimated by operators. Our study confirms that the duration of stenting must be as short as possible in order to improve patient comfort, which implies rapid organization of the aetiological management of these patients.