Stent for Use after Ureteroscopy: The "Getting-Out-of-Trouble" Stent

Abstract

A 4.7F polyurethane stent that can be passed through the 5F channel of a ureteroscope is described. The stent is 76 cm in length and has a memory curl at the distal end and at 26 cm; this allows the stent to be placed over a wire, under direct vision, through the ureteroscope. The ureteroscope may then be removed and the stent left in place. Cystoscopic scissors are used to cut the stent within the bladder, removing the distal 50 cm and leaving a retained 26-cm double-J ureteral stent. This technique is useful for placing a stent under direct vision above a false passage or for placing a stent once the ureteroscope has been negotiated above a difficult area of the ureter. For problem cases, using this stent under direct vision provides a degree of certainty not present when a stent is placed blindly over a guidewire.