Ureteral stenting after ureteroscopy for distal ureteral calculi: A multi-institutional prospective randomized controlled study assessing pain, outcomes and complications

Purpose: We compare postoperative pain, stone-free rates and complications after ureteroscopic treatment of distal ureteral calculi with or without th e use of ureteral stents. Materials and Methods: A total of 113 patients with distal ureteral calculi amenable to ureteroscopic treatment were prospectively randomized into ste nted (53) and unstented (60) groups. Stones were managed with semirigid ure teroscopes with or without distal ureteral dilation and/or intracorporeal l ithotripsy. Preoperative and postoperative pain questionnaires were obtaine d from each patient. Patients with stents had them removed 3 to 10 days pos toperatively. Radiographic followup was performed postoperatively to assess stone-free rates and evidence of obstruction. Results: Six patients randomized to the unstented group were withdrawn from the study after significant intraoperative ureteral trauma was recognized, including 3 ureteral perforations, that required ureteral stent placement, leaving 53 with stents and 54 without for analysis. Patients with stents h ad statistically significantly more postoperative Rank pain (p = 0.005), bl adder pain (p < 0.001), urinary symptoms (p = 0.002), overall pain (p < 0.0 01) and total narcotic use (p < 0.001) compared to the unstented group. Int raoperative ureteral dilation or intracorporeal lithotripsy did not statist ically significantly affect postoperative pain or narcotic use in either gr oup (p > 0.05 in all cases). Overall mean stone size in our study was 6.6 m m. There were 4 (7.4%) patients without stents who required postoperative r eadmission to the hospital secondary to flank pain. All patients (85%) who underwent imaging postoperatively were without evidence of obstruction or u reteral stricture on followup imaging (mean followup plus or minus standard deviation 1.8 +/- 1.5 months), and the stone-free rate was 99.1%. Conclusions: Uncomplicated ureteroscopy for distal ureteral calculi with or without intraoperative ureteral dilation can safely be performed without p lacement of a ureteral stent. Patients without stents had significantly les s pain, fewer urinary symptoms and decreased narcotic use postoperatively.