Does the size of ureteral stent impact urinary symptoms and quality of life? A prospective randomized study.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of stent diameter on patients' symptoms and quality of life (QoL) by using dedicated questionnaires.


METHODS
We prospectively enrolled 34 patients with unilateral ureteral obstruction due to urinary stone undergoing to ureteral stenting (17 pts with 4.8 F and 17 pts with 6 F) before treatment of stone disease. Twenty-one patients with lower urinary symptoms from other causes were used as a control group. Two questionnaires, one on QoL and another on stent specific symptoms, were administered to patients one week after stent positioning and 4 week after removal.


RESULTS
There was a significant association between stent state and answers on pain and discomfort on QoL questionnaire. A high percentage of patients reported anxiety and depression associated with the stent. Similar significant association was found between stent state and urinary symptoms and pain. No differences in QoL and urinary symptoms and pain were detected using stents with different size.


CONCLUSIONS
Ureteral stents are invariably associated with urinary symptoms and impaired QoL. We did not find any difference between stent with different size, whereas there was a tendency for stent with smaller diameter to dislodge more often.
Damiano
Rocco
R
Chair of Urology, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, Department of clinical and experimental medicine, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, via T Campanella 202, 88100 Catanzaro, CZ, Italy. damiano@unicz.it
Autorino
Riccardo
R
De Sio
Marco
M
Cantiello
Francesco
F
Quarto
Giuseppe
G
Perdonà
Sisto
S
Sacco
Rosario
R
D'Armiento
Massimo
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D005548:Foreign-Body Migration; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000209:etiology; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D015607:Stents / Q000009:adverse effects; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014517:Ureteral Obstruction / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D014545:Urinary Calculi / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D013520:Urologic Surgical Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation*