Abstract
Purpose:
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.
Materials and 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.
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