How is a Ureteral Stent Removal Procedure Done?

Ureteric or ureteral stent refers to a specially designed hollow tube comprised of a flexible plastic of about 25cm to 30cm length. Urologists place it within the ureter and hold it in the right place by using a coil at every end.

The main function this stent is to open the ureter to allow draining of the urine towards the bladder of a patient from the kidney. Doctors usually insert it after doctor performs the process of ureteroscopy.

Urologists remove the ureteral stents by the help of two different methods:

1. Pull the Stent of A String If It Remains In Its Original Place

   Urologists may leave an attached string towards a particular end of a stent at the ureteral area. String of a stent is a long piece and is a thread like structure that starts from a particular stent and drape out towards the urethra, which remains visible at the meatus of the urethral area.

   In order to remove the ureteral stent, doctors hold the visible string firmly and apply continuous and steady pulling until and unless the stent comes out completely. Curl present at end portion of the stent is of flexible in nature to allow uncurling of the stent and its removal in an easy way.

2. Place a Camera within the Bladder or Cystoscopy To View And Grab The Stent Directly By Using A Small Size Of A Grasping Device

   When urologists have to perform the process of cystoscopy or do the procedure without any string or attaching only a particular portion of it, they should use a camera to allow entering of the bladder from the urethra.

   In this way, they view the stent and use a particular instrument to both remove and grasp it in both safe and secured manner. This is usually a quick process and takes place in a clinic only and it requires hardly one minute in most of the cases. On broad classification, steps involved in the process of ureteral stents by the help of cystoscopy are:

1. Usage of a cystoscope or a camera to place it inside the bladder
2. Identification of a stent
3. Application of a grasper to grab the ureteric or ureteral stent in a secured manner
4. Removal of grasper, cystoscope and secured stent as a single unit.

Ureteral Stent removal does not give any uncomfortable feeling to a majority of patients. However, a few patients may feel discomfort in case of stent removal and commonly in men, as they have long urethra. This problem is because of the feelings of discomfort in the cystoscope or because of the sensation of the ureter stent at the time of its removal.

In order to make the stent removal process comfortable, urologists follow the necessary steps, as mentioned here:

• Placement of a Lidocaine jelly inside the urethra during the beginning of the complete process helps to numb the area to avoid sensation to some extent.
• Most of the times, individuals feel discomfort because of the tightening of the sphincter placed in the urethral area while scope passes within the bladder. In this case, patients should try to relax, take a deep breath and never clench down at the time of cystoscopy procedure.
• Anticipation as well as perception associated with the process also plays a major role in giving comfortable feelings. Researchers observed that patients, who watch the complete procedure of cystoscopy on videos usually, experience less comfort than others do.

Therefore, with easy steps and anticipation, patients will undergo with the removal of ureteral stents in a hassle-free way.

Also Read:

• Are All Stents Metal?
• Do Stents Really Work?
• How Much Does it Cost to Have a Stent to Put in?
• Can You Have a Stent Removed?