title: Drainage characteristics of the 3F MicroStent using a novel film occlusion anchoring mechanism.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether the overall ureteral flow through an obstructed ureter using the 3F MicroStent™ that uses a novel film occlusion anchoring mechanism is comparable to the flow using a conventional 3F and 4.7F Double-J stent.
  
  
  METHODS
  An in vitro silicone ureter model and an ex vivo porcine urinary model (kidney and ureter) were used to measure the overall flow through obstructed and unobstructed ureters with either a 3F Double-J stent (Cook), 3F MicroStent (PercSys), or 4.7F Double-J stent (Cook). Mean flow rates were compared with descriptive statistics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean flow rates through the obstructed silicone ureter (12-mm stone) for the 3F MicroStent, 3F Double-J stent, and 4.7F Double-J stent were 326.7±13.3  mL/min, 283.3±19.2  mL/min, and 356.7±14.1  mL/min, respectively. In the obstructed ex vivo porcine ureter model, the flow as a percentage of free flow was 60%, 53%, and 50 %, respectively. In both ureteral models, flow rates of the 3F MicroStent and 4.7F Double-J stents were not statistically different.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The 3F MicroStent demonstrated drainage equivalent to a 4.7F Double-J stent, in both in vitro silicone and ex vivo porcine obstructed urinary models. We have demonstrated the crucial first step that this 3F stent, using a novel film occlusion anchoring mechanism, has equivalent, if not slightly improved, drainage rates when compared with its larger counterpart.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lange
authors.forename: Nathan A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Hoag
authors.forename: Beow Kiong
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Poh
authors.forename: Ben H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Chew
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004322:Drainage / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D023421:Models, Animal; D012212:Rheology; D012828:Silicones; D015607:Stents; D034421:Sus scrofa; D014513:Ureter / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D012828:Silicones