Clinical relevance of urethral stents (Urospiral 2™) placement in patients with prostatic obstacle and concomitant high-risk surgical status or neurological diseases: a feasibility and safety study.

Aims: To review the indications and to assess the functional outcomes after placement of a new temporary urethral stent (TUS) in men with lower urinary tract dysfunction.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the data of men with prostate obstruction and concomitant high-risk surgical status or neurological diseases between 2006 and 2008. TUS placement was performed with Urospiral 2™ which is a temporary, non-expanding, transprostatic stent. Success was defined as follows: when TUS placement allowed patients to void spontaneously and/or when surgery was made feasible after the period of relative contraindication (therapeutic group) or when TUS placement allowed physicians to define the role of prostate obstruction in the patients' voiding disorders and therefore to make an appropriate therapeutic decision (diagnosis group).

Results: We included 94 men with a mean age of 73.3 ± 9 years (48-99) and 5 of them were lost to follow-up. The mean follow-up was 148 ± 100 days (2-1,046) and the mean duration of TUS placement was 155 ± 90 days (2-1,045). After a mean hospital stay of 4.8 ± 3 days (1-31), 84 patients (89%) had recovered spontaneous micturition. In the therapeutic group and the diagnosis group, 23 patients (92%) and 45 patients (70%) voided spontaneously, respectively.

Conclusions: TUS placement may be proposed temporarily in selected patients with static bladder outlet obstruction due to an enlarged prostate as it allows patients to avoid the use of an indwelling catheter.