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Review
. 2022 Oct 19:45:108-117.
doi: 10.1016/j.euros.2022.09.005. eCollection 2022 Nov.

Impact of Ureteral Stent Material on Stent-related Symptoms: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Matthias Boeykens  1 , Etienne X Keller  2   3   4 , Andrea Bosio  5 , Oliver J Wiseman  6 , Pablo Contreras  7 , Eugenio Ventimiglia  3   4   8 , Michele Talso  3   9 , Amelia Pietropaolo  3   10 , Thomas Tailly  3   11 , Vincent De Coninck  3   4   12
Affiliations
Review

Impact of Ureteral Stent Material on Stent-related Symptoms: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Matthias Boeykens et al. Eur Urol Open Sci. .

Abstract

Context: Ureteral stents are essential implants that are used on a daily basis. Since their invention, advances in stent design have been directed towards alleviating stent-related symptoms. It remains unclear how the material composition of the stent affects stent-related symptoms.

Objective: To review the literature and define the clinical impact of ureteral stent material on stent-related symptoms.

Evidence acquisition: A literature search of the Embase, MEDLINE (PubMed), and Web of Science databases was conducted on December 17, 2021 to collect articles comparing stent composition materials regarding stent-related symptoms. Thirteen publications met the inclusion criteria, of which only one met the high-quality requirements of the Cochrane Collaboration tool for assessing the risk of bias in randomized trials.

Evidence synthesis: Most trials, including the highest quality trial, seem to support that silicone double-J (DJ) stents reduce stent-related symptoms compared to nonsilicone DJ stents. Regarding physical properties, it seems that "soft" or "flexible" DJ stents reduce stent-related symptoms. However, since there was only one high-quality study with a low risk of bias, it is impossible to draw a definitive conclusion owing to the lack of quality data.

Conclusions: Silicone DJ stents, and by extension "soft" DJ stents, appear to reduce stent-related symptoms compared to nonsilicone polymers and "hard" DJ stents. No definitive conclusion can be drawn owing to a lack of quality evidence. Creating a standard for measuring and reporting physical stent properties should be the first step for further research.

Patient summary: A ureteral stent is a small hollow tube placed inside the ureter to help urine drain from the kidney. We reviewed the literature on the impact of stent material on stent-related symptoms. We found that silicone may reduce stent-related symptoms, but no definitive conclusion can be drawn and further studies are needed.

Keywords: Double-J stent; Material; Review; Stent-related discomfort; Stent-related symptoms; Ureteral stent; Urolithiasis.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) diagram.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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