Ureteral stent complications

Background

  • Placed to relieve obstructions related to nephrolithiasis as well as those related to trauma, strictures, tumors

Complications and Considerations

  • UTI
    • PO antibiotics
  • Pyelonephritis
    • IV antibiotics, call urology, obtain imaging to look at the stent and urinary tract
  • Incidental microscopic hematuria
    • Microscopic hematuria is usually expected
  • Gross hematuria
    • Call urology
  • Dysuria, urgency, frequency, MILD flank and abdominal pain
    • Pain control, rule out UTI and other processes, consider anticholinergics like oxybutynin
  • Migration, malfunctioning, malpositioning and/or fragmentation of the stent
    • Imaging, call urology
  • Erosion of urinary tract and vascular-ureter fistula, retroperitoneal hematoma
    • Resuscitation, call urology

See Also

References