A ureteric stent is a hollow plastic tube that lies within your ureter (the passage connecting your kidneys to your bladder). The stent is held in place by coils at each end, which sit in the kidney and the bladder.
Ureteric stents are temporary and cannot stay in permanently. In most patients, the stent is required for a short time only; usually one to six weeks.
Why have a ureteric stent inserted?
A ureteric stent is placed in your ureter to bypass a blockage. This allows for urine to drain from your kidney into your bladder.
Unblocking the kidney prevents a build-up of pressure that can cause pain and may damage the kidney.
The blockage may be caused by:
- Kidney stone/calculus.
- Narrowing of the ureter due to swelling after an operation.
- Narrowing of the ureter due to a congenital condition.
What should I expect when I go home with a ureteric stent?
After having anaesthetic you may feel drowsy and your coordination and judgement may be affected for 24 hours. For your own safety, and in some cases legally, do not do any of the following for 24 hours:
- Drive a car or use heavy equipment/machinery.
- Sign any legal documents or make important decisions.
- Consume alcohol.
Most patients will be aware of their stent but will not experience any problems. Some patients may have moderate symptoms and a few may experience more severe symptoms. Most symptoms will decrease over time.
Symptoms may include:
- Discomfort, irritation, pain or burning feeling when you pass urine. This may increase after strenuous activity.
- You may feel the need to pass urine more often.
- You may need to pass urine more urgently (rush to the toilet).
- You may have blood in your urine and this may increase after strenuous activity.
- You may feel pain in the side (kidney pain) when passing urine
What can I do to help my symptoms?
- You may need to take some simple pain medication to make yourself more comfortable. Paracetamol may be taken if required. Ibuprofen may also be of benefit if there are no medical reasons you cannot take it. Always follow dosage instructions on the label.
- You should be able to return to normal physical activities the day after your procedure. However, if you are having bothersome stent symptoms, you may find that reducing strenuous activity will reduce these symptoms.
- Maintain good fluid intake:
- Drink 2L of fluid per day with the majority of this being water.
- This will ease the discomfort caused by the stent.
- Caffeinated and carbonated drinks can make you go to the toilet more often and urgently (rushing to the toilet).
When and how will I have my stent removed?
In most patients, the stent is required for one to six weeks. The stent is usually removed in hospital under local anaesthetic via a flexible cystoscopy; a small flexible tube is inserted into your bladder via your urethra (tube draining the urine to the outside) and the stent is gently removed while you are awake. There are some cases where this may need to be performed under sedation and this would be discussed after your initial procedure.
If you require a ureteric stent long term, you will require a general anaesthetic procedure to have this changed while you are asleep. This is usually performed every six to twelve months. Please note: If you have not been advised of your next appointment or follow up after your stent insertion at Mater, you must contact the Mater Hospital Urology Department on 07 3163 3490 during business hours.
When to seek help
Please contact either your General Practitioner (GP) or your local Emergency Department, if you experience any of the following after your procedure:
- Strong kidney pain that is not resolved with simple pain relief medication.
- Symptoms of a urine infection including:
- Worsening pain or discomfort on urination.
- Fever, chills, shaking, increasing drowsiness or generally feeling unwell.
- Smelly or cloudy urine.
- Heavily blood-stained urine or clots that is not settling after increasing water intake and minimising strenuous activity.
- Difficulty passing urine or inability to pass urine.
Mater Misericordiae Ltd Raymond Terrace, South Brisbane Qld 4101
T: 07 3163 8111
F: 07 3163 8112
E: info@mater.org.au
Mater acknowledges consumer consultation in the development of this patient information.
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