title: Evaluation of symptoms and patients' comfort for JJ-ureteral stents with and without antireflux-membrane valve.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate safety and patients' comfort by using the ureteral stent symptom questionnaire. Ureteral stents are used to provide upper urinary-tract drainage.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 133 JJ-ureteral stents with and without antireflux-membrane valve as consecutive referrals for therapy of hydronephrosis have been inserted. Four weeks after insertion of the ureteral stent, the patients were asked about pain while urination, flank pain due to reflux, and the comparison with former stents. Ultrasound of the kidney for hydronephrosis grade and creatinine value as follow-up have been documented. Statistical analysis included chi(2) test after Pearson correlation computed and performed by SPSS software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found a high correlation between the JJ-ureteral stent used and the detection of a hydronephrosis (P = .004). More patients who had a JJ-ureteral stent without valve complained of flank pain (P <.0005) and pain in the bladder (P <.0005). Patients who had a ureteral stent before were asked to compare new stents with the former ones. No patients with a JJ-ureteral stent with valve found this one to be worse than what they had before.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  JJ-stent related symptoms are a major problem for these patients. New stent designs and materials will be developed in the future to reduce stent-related morbidity and improve patient comfort. JJ-ureteral stents with an antireflux-membrane valve have a lower complication rate and provide a higher patient comfort compared with stents without valve.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, HELIOS Hospital, Bad Saarow, Germany. tho_ecke@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Thorsten H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Ecke
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bartel
authors.forename: Steffen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hallmann
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ruttloff
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006869:Hydronephrosis / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D015607:Stents / Q000009:adverse effects; D055815:Young Adult