title: Ultrasound-Guided Ureteral Stent Removal in Women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to develop a fast, comfortable, and safe method of ureteral stent removal in women.
  
  
  METHODS
  From February 2014 to July 2015, a retrospective multicenter controlled study including 82 female outpatients was conducted. The control group was composed of 46 patients who underwent stent removal using a 22F cystoscope. The experimental group was composed of 36 patients who underwent stent removal under ultrasound guidance with a 15F spiral-ending device. Exclusion criteria were pelvic organ prolapse quantification stage II or higher and complicated stents (with migration or encrustation).
  
  
  RESULTS
  All studied patients had successful ureteral stent removal. No complications were seen in both groups. Differences between mean visual analog pain scale scores and stent removal durations were statistically significant in favor of the experimental group (P = .0077 and .0075, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The proposed method for ureteral stent removal in women under ultrasound guidance was shown to be faster and to have lower visual analog pain scale scores, in comparison with removal by a cystoscope, which makes it an attractive option for outpatient urologic praxis in uncomplicated cases, and because it is free of the risk of ionizing radiation and more comfortable, it can be used in pregnant patients.
authors: Federal State Institute of Public Health, Nikiforov Russian Center of Emergency and Radiation Medicine, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation nariman.gadjiev@gmail.com.
authors: Nariman
authors: N
authors: Gadzhiev
authors: Federal State Institute of Public Health, Nikiforov Russian Center of Emergency and Radiation Medicine, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation.
authors: Sergei
authors: S
authors: Brovkin
authors: Federal State Institute of Public Health, Nikiforov Russian Center of Emergency and Radiation Medicine, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation.
authors: Vladislav
authors: V
authors: Grigoryev
authors: Federal State Institute of Public Health, Nikiforov Russian Center of Emergency and Radiation Medicine, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation.
authors: Vladimir
authors: V
authors: Dmitriev
authors: Federal State Institute of Public Health, Nikiforov Russian Center of Emergency and Radiation Medicine, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation.
authors: Valeriy
authors: V
authors: Korol
authors: National Pirogov Medical Surgical Center, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation.
authors: Dmitry
authors: D
authors: Shkarupa
authors: National Pirogov Medical Surgical Center, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation.
authors: Aleksei
authors: A
authors: Pisarev
authors: Saint Elizabeth Hospital, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation.
authors: Nair
authors: N
authors: Tagirov
authors: Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry, named after A. I. Evdokimov, Moscow, Russian Federation.
authors: Vigen
authors: V
authors: Malkhasyan
authors: Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry, named after A. I. Evdokimov, Moscow, Russian Federation.
authors: Igor
authors: I
authors: Semeniakin
authors: Vreden Russian Research Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation.
authors: Nikita
authors: N
authors: Khromov-Borisov
authors: Federal State Institute of Public Health, Nikiforov Russian Center of Emergency and Radiation Medicine, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation.
authors: Sergei
authors: S
authors: Petrov
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D020878:Device Removal / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015607:Stents; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional; D014513:Ureter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*
keywords: device; genitourinary ultrasound; removal; ultrasound; ureteral stent