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Urological Health

Ureteric stenting

Discharge instructions

A ureteric stent is put in to relieve a block in your ureter in order to help your kidney drain urine

What is a ureteric stent? Will I have symptoms when I have a stent?

The reason for a ureteric stent is either to relieve a block Although some patients don’t notice a difference with
in your ureter or to help your kidney drain urine. The a stent in place, others may have some of the following
ureter (see diagram) is the tube draining urine from symptoms.
each kidney into the bladder. A ureteric stent (see
diagram) is a thin plastic tube that sits inside the ureter, • It is not unusual to have some bladder ache or pain,
going from the kidney to the bladder, that lets urine especially when urinating.
drain freely. • You may feel that you must urinate immediately or
urinate more often
• You may see small amounts of blood in your urine
Diagram of the kidneys • You may pass small blood clots.
and ureteric stent
• You may have mild backache when you urinate.
This is not harmful. It is related to backflow of urine
toward the kidney through the stent (urine usually
moves from kidney to bladder, not bladder to kidney).
This happens when urine bypasses the special one-
way valve that normally stops such backflow.
kidney • It may seem that these symptoms (which are normal)
get worse with physical activity* because the stent
may irritate the bladder. *You may need to limit
strenuous physical activity while a ureteric stent is
ureter
in place.

ureteric
stent How will I manage these symptoms?

• Acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol™) or ibuprofen (e.g.,
bladder Advil™) will usually control any ache or pain
• For a more serious ache or pain, your physician may
urethra prescribe a stronger painkiller, such as acetaminophen
with codeine (Tylenol #3™).
• Frequent or really strong urges to urinate, may be
relieved by using medication that relaxes urinary
muscles, such as oxybutynin (Ditropan™), tolterodine,
How long must I have the stent? (Detrol™), or tamsulosin (Flomax™).
A ureteric stent is not permanent. You may have a stent Although symptoms related to your stent may be
for a few days or several months. The stent eventually upsetting, they do not cause any serious physical
must be removed or replaced as it can become damage and will disappear once the ureteric stent
blocked with body waste. is removed.

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