title: Effects of prophylactic insertion of Double-J stents to decrease episodes of renal colic in patients with recurrent ureteral stones.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the hypothesis that prophylactic insertion of Double-J stents after uncomplicated transurethral lithotripsy (TUL) can decrease the number of episodes of renal colic and their intensity in patients with recurrent ureteral stones (those with three or more episodes of stone formation).
  
  
  METHODS
  During a prospective randomized clinical trial from May 1999 to January 2004, 195 patients with recurrent ureteral stones were included in our study; 94 had stents in place for 4 weeks, and 101 patients remained stentless (control group). A few patients in each group had residual stone disease. All patients were followed-up for a mean period of 24 months and questioned about the number and intensity of their episodes of renal colic, and were also evaluated for their rates of spontaneous stone passage.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Spontaneous passage of stones was seen in 43 patients (45.7%; CI 95%, 35.7, 55.8) who underwent stenting, and 35 patients (34.7%; CI 95%, 25.4, 43.9) in the stentless group (P > 0.05). The number of episodes of renal colic was significantly lower in the stented group (P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Insertion of Double-J stents for 4 weeks after uncomplicated TUL in patients with recurrent ureteral stones significantly decreases the number of episodes of ureteral colic, although it does not decrease the rate of stone formation.
authors: Department of Urology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Seyed Mohammad Kazem
authors: SM
authors: Aghamir
authors: Abdolreza
authors: A
authors: Mohammadi
authors: Hasan
authors: H
authors: Farahmand
authors: Ali Pasha
authors: AP
authors: Meysamie
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003085:Colic / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008096:Lithotripsy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D015607:Stents; D014514:Ureteral Calculi / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*