Barriers to Healthcare: Non-English Speaking and Elderly Patients More Likely to Have Retained Ureteral Stents.

Objective: To identify factors for retained ureteral stents in our institution of patients receiving de novo ureteral stents. Ureteral stent placement, a commonly performed urologic procedure, is a temporary measure and requires timely removal. Retained ureteral stents may result in significant morbidities and need for additional procedures.

Materials And Methods: We queried for all de novo ureteral stents indicated for calculi at our institution between July 2019-June 2021. Retained ureteral stents were defined as stents that remained indwelling for a period greater than 90days. Patients with metallic stents, stents on strings, pediatric patients, and planned therapy outside 90days were excluded. Patient demographic information including gender, race, age, insurance status, non-English speaking status as well as clinical data including location of presentation and indication were collected. Characteristics of patients with retained stents were compared to those without.

Results: Four hundred fifty-seven de novo stent patients meeting study criteria were identified, of which 61 (13%) patients had retained stents. The median duration of retention was 24days +/- 32days (IQR). Patients with retained stents were older than those with stents removed within 90days (62.1 vs 57.2years, P = .03). Retained stents were more common among non-English-speaking patients (13% vs 5%, P = .012).

Conclusion: Stent retention was found to be associated with non-English speaking status and older age. Healthcare barriers in language and age may lead to increased morbidity due to stent retention.