Early and late complications of double pigtail ureteral stent.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the early and late complications of indwelling ureteral stents in a series of 146 patients with nephroureteral lithiasis.


METHODS
146 patients with obstructing nephrolitiasis were treated for urinary diversion with double pigtail ureteral stent before extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (ESWL) and following ureterorenoscopic treatment of lithiasis. All patients were scheduled for stent removal or replacement at specific 3-month intervals until stone-free status was achieved.


RESULTS
Early complications during the first 4 weeks after stent insertion were stent discomfort (37.6%), irritative bladder symptoms (18.8%), hematuria (18.1%), bacteriuria (15.2%), fever >104 degrees F (12.3%) and flank pain (25.3%); late complications included hydronephrosis (5.7%), and stent migration (9.5%), encrustation (21.6%), fragmentation (1.9%) and breakage (1.3%).


CONCLUSIONS
Ureteral stents have proven to be an invaluable tool for endourologists. Morbidity is minimal for up to three months but longer indwelling times are associated with an increasing frequency of incrustation, infections, secondary stone formation and obstruction of the stented tract.
Damiano
Rocco
R
Department of Experimental and Clinic Medicine, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy. damiano@unicz.it
Oliva
Andrea
A
Esposito
Ciro
C
De Sio
Marco
M
Autorino
Riccardo
R
D'Armiento
Massimo
M
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006869:Hydronephrosis / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D015607:Stents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013997:Time Factors; D014545:Urinary Calculi / Q000628:therapy