Flank pain, haematuria and poor patient compliance : beware the 'forgotten' JJ stent!

Abstract

Ureteral JJ stents are invaluable in endo-urological practice, as they provide free drainage from the kidney to the bladder and are effective in relieving and preventing upper urinary tract obstruction. However, complications occur in up to one-third of patients, which most commonly include stent encrusation, stent migration, stent fracture and secondary stone formation. Other complications include dysuria, frequency, vesico-ureteric reflux and ureteral fistula. For stents that have lost their radio-opaque coating or when radiography is contraindicated, ultrasonography is the diagnostic modality of choice.