Forgotten DJ Stents; A Misery to the Patients

Abstract

DJ Stents have been in use since long for the management of ureteral obstruction. The obstruction may be due to stone, stricture, PUJ Obstruction etc. DJ Stents if kept for long time are associated with different complications like, blockage, break, migration, encrustation, stone formation etc. These long stayed DJ Stents need additional procedures for their removal like, URS, PCNL, and Pyelolithotomy etc. Objectives: i) to analyze the data retrospectively to see the number of patients having forgotten DJ Stents. ii) To see the level of awareness of patients regarding their DJ removal. Study Design: Retrospective study. Place and duration of study: Urology Department, Allied Hospital, Faisalabad from Jan 2011 to Dec 2014. Materials and Methods: Record of patients of forgotten DJ Stents for 4 years. Results: During4 years period 35 patients were found to have forgotten DJ Stents and maximum duration of forgotten DJ Stents was 14 years. 41.66% patients in first group (indwell time 3-12months) were having encrustations. Overall 11/35 (31.42%) needed litholopaxy for their DJ removal and 24/35 (68.57%) needed URS and it was successful in 22/24 patients. One patient needed PCNL and one had pyelolithotomy for their removal. Conclusion: Patients should be stressed / counseled properly regarding its removal by telling its complication. Thread attached to the DJ stent may be left outside external urethral meatus. It must be properly documented in discharge slip. A register must be maintained to keep record of these patients and it should have their address and phone number so that they should be reminded of about their DJ removal well in time.