What Is A Stent
A stent is a small hollow tube that is placed into the ureter. Its flexible and approximately 10 inches in length.
When placed in the ureter, the top portion of the stent has a small curl that sits in the kidney and the opposite ends curls in the bladder.
Stents may have a string on the end that is visible outside the body. Not all stents have a visible string.
Will My Sexuality Improve After A Kidney Transplant
Many people who experienced sexual problems while on dialysis will find improvement after a kidney transplant. Your new kidney will help you feel better and have more energy. This will help to make your sexual life more enjoyable. In fact, for most people, sexual functioning should return to normal.
How To Sleep With A Kidney Stent
A doctor places a kidney stent, also called a ureteral stent, to keep urine flowing from the kidney to the bladder, usually after you have a kidney stone or some other obstruction.
While your doctor ideally places a kidney stent to help you feel better, an estimated 80 percent of people report stents are uncomfortable. This may be especially true when trying to sleep.
Fortunately, there are a lot of ways both you and your doctor can work to relieve stent-related discomfort. Keep reading to find out.
Sleep is really important when youre recovering from a ureteral stent placement. Your body needs time to heal and regain energy, so feeling comfortable for sleep is important.
Here are some methods you can use to improve your sleep with a stent.
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Quality Assessment And Data Extraction
Two authors independently extracted information from the included studies and ranked the study quality based on the Risk Of Bias In Non-randomized Studies of Interventions . Inconsistencies were resolved by discussion with a third reviewer . Extracted data contained study information , participant characteristics , intervention characteristics , outcome characteristics . The ROBINS-I includes three categories: pre-intervention , intervention , and post-intervention . Each category is assessed as low risk of bias, moderate risk of bias, serious risk of bias, critical risk of bias, and no information.
What Is The Best Sleeping Position
While doctors havent established a single best position for reducing stent-related discomfort when sleeping, there are some reports that people feel better sleeping on the opposite side where their stent is placed.
However, this isnt backed up by research. You may have to try different sleeping positions to determine how you can get more comfortable.
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The Mans Sex Cure For Kidney Stones
Source: Study titled Can Sexual Intercourse Be an Alternative Therapy for Distal Ureteral Stones? A Prospective, Randomized, Controlled Study by researchers in the department of urology, Clinic of Ankara Training and Research Hospital, and in the department of biostatistics and medical informatics, Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine, both in Turkey, published in Urology.
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Youre a man. You develop a kidney stone. Ouch. Its not too large, so its the kind that sometimes passes on its own. Your doctor gives you three choices
Just wait and hope that it passes.
Take a prescription medication such as tamsulosin , which relaxes muscles in the bladder, so stones can pass more easily.
Have sex three or four times a week.
And the winner issex! In a study published in the journal Urology, 75 men with moderate-sized kidney stones were put into one of the three groups above. The results
26 of the 31 men in the have sex group passed a kidney stone. Thats about 84%. It took an average of 10 days.
10 of the 21 patients in the Flomax groupabout 48%passed a stone. It took an average of 17 days.
Only eight of the 23 patients in the control groupabout 35%passed a stone. It took an average of 18 days.
Of course, the men didnt actually get to choose which group to be inthey were randomly assigned to a group, to make it a more reliable study.
PRESCRIPTION: SEX?
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Intercourse Appears To Aid In Passage Of Kidney Stones
Drinking milk may do a body good, but so does frequent sex. Sexual intercourse may aid in the passage of distal ureteral kidney stones, suggests a study of 90 men conducted by Turkish researchers at the Clinic of Ankara. Distal utereral stones are stones that lodge in the lower portion of the ureters. Ureters are the tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder.
Researchers divided the male patients into three groups. Group one was advised to have sexual intercourse three-four times a week. Group two patients were administered tamsulosin. Tamsulosin is an alpha blocker thats used to treat an enlarged prostate. It relaxes muscles in the ureters making urination easier. Patients in the third group received standard medical therapy for kidney stones.
Researchers found that men who had sex three to four times a week had a better chance of spontaneously expelling their stones. Results of the study were published in July 2015 issue of Urology.
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Treatment Of Kidney Infection
Most kidney infections need prompt treatment with antibiotics to stop the infection damaging the kidneys or spreading to the bloodstream.
You may also need painkillers.
If youâre especially vulnerable to the effects of an infection , you may be admitted to hospital and treated with antibiotics through a drip.
Most people who are diagnosed and treated promptly with antibiotics feel completely better after about 2 weeks.
People who are older or have underlying conditions may take longer to recover.
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How Is The Procedure Performed
The procedure is usually performed with the patient asleep . Sometimes a local anaesthetic, with or without sedation, is administered.
During this procedure, a tube with a tiny optic camera is inserted through the urethra into your bladder. The bladder is inspected, and the ureteric opening is located. The urologist may use x-ray images taken with a contrast agent in the ureters to assess the urinary tract and to locate the obstruction.
The stent is placed during surgery by sliding it over a guidewire placed in the ureter .
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What Are The Risks Of Ureteral Stent Placement
Your ureter may be damaged during the procedure and you will need surgery to fix it. You may need surgery if the stent cannot be put in safely. The stent may become blocked or move out of place. If the stent remains in place for a long time, minerals and bacteria may grow over it. This can cause a blockage or a bladder infection.
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What You Need To Know About Kidney Stones
Most people know kidney stones reputation for being painful, but what exactly are they, and how can your urologist treat them? Watch this video to find out.
Kidney stones occur when certain minerals build up in your urine and form clumps that then must be passed out of your body via your urinary tract. They can cause severe pain in the back and abdomen as they move around, particularly if they are large or have jagged edges. In some cases, kidney stone treatment may revolve around pain medication and drinking extra water, but for large stones, your urologist may recommend surgery or another method of breaking up the stone.
At Urology Associates, P.C., our doctors offer care for kidney stones, UTIs, erectile dysfunction, and a long list of other conditions affecting the urinary system and sexual health. To make an appointment with a urologist in Tennessee, call .
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How Might Medicines Taken By Transplant Patients Affect An Unborn Child
Many anti-rejection medicines are generally safe for a pregnant woman and her baby. However, there are some types that can affect pregnancy and the baby. These types should be avoided during pregnancy and stopped at least six weeks before becoming pregnant. Your doctor will likely monitor you after you’ve stopped, and let you know when it’s safe to attempt pregnancy.
If you have a kidney transplant and are considering pregnancy, you should discuss it carefully with your transplant team and your kidney doctor. Your doctor may want you to switch to a different anti-rejection medicine.
What Symptoms Can Be Caused By A Stent
Normal symptoms you may experience when a stent is in place include:
- Blood in urine Can range from light pink tinged urine, to a darker color similar to red wine.
- Dysuria this can be mild to moderate. Dysuria can usually be relieved by increasing fluid intake and avoidance of certain drinks, food, and some medications.
- Urgency the feeling/sensation you get when you have to go
- Frequency going to the restroom more often than normal. Frequency can range from every few minutes, to once an hour. Frequency will increase when increasing fluid intake.
- Spasms of the ureter or bladder. A cramping-like sensation in the mid to low abdomen, often described as feeling like a muscle cramp
Some symptoms are not normal with a stent in place, and you should see your doctor. These include:
- Constant dark bloody urine that does not ease up with increased fluid intake.
- Thick clots or tissue in the urine that is causing any difficulty urinating
- Urinary retention, meaning you are unable to urinate at all. Small dribbles of urine with an increasing discomfort in your lower abdomen can suggest the beginning of retention, and you should notify your doctor.
- Severe pain of any kind not relieved with any medications, either over-the-counter or prescription medication.
- Persistent fever over 101.8 °
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What Happens Before Ureteral Stenting
Before a ureteral stent procedure, your provider may ask you to:
- Get blood tests to check kidney function.
- Give your healthcare team a list of the medications and supplements you take.
- Stop taking medications like aspirin that thin the blood.
- Fast for a specified amount of time before the procedure.
What Will I Experience During And After The Procedure
The doctor or nurse will attach devices to your body to monitor your heart rate and blood pressure.
You will feel a slight pinch when the nurse inserts the needle into your vein for the IV line and when they inject the local anesthetic. Most of the sensation is at the skin incision site. The doctor will numb this area using local anesthetic. You may feel pressure when the doctor inserts the catheter into the vein or artery. However, you will not feel serious discomfort.
If the procedure uses sedation, you will feel relaxed, sleepy, and comfortable. You may or may not remain awake, depending on how deeply you are sedated.
You may feel slight pressure as the catheter is inserted into the kidney and down the ureter. During placement of a ureteral stent, until the stent is positioned, you may feel pressure as the guide wire is inserted into the bladder resulting in a sensation to urinate. You may experience blood-tinged urine for several days following the procedure, which will usually clear up on its own.
You will remain in the recovery room until you are completely awake and ready to return home.
You will not feel when the contrast is excreted into the urine.
You should be able to resume your normal activities within a few days.
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How To Prepare For The Procedure
Always ask your doctor about the treatment steps and any special instructions. These can differ by hospital and country.
Instructions may include:
- when to stop certain medications, such as blood thinners
- when to stop eating and drinking before the procedure to prepare for anaesthesia
- when to empty the bladder before the procedure
- when to arrange pain medication after the procedure, if necessarydiscuss this early with your nurse and/or doctor
- arranging for a ride home after your hospital discharge
Before surgery, someone from your health care teamusually the anaesthesiologistwill assess which type of anaesthesia is appropriate for you.
Depending on the country you live in and your hospital, types of anaesthesia can include:
- General anaesthesia
- A local anaesthetic with or without sedation
You may be asked to give a urine sample before the procedure to test for a urinary tract infection.
What To Expect Back Home
At hospital discharge, your doctor or nurse will give you instructions for rest, driving, and doing physical activities after the procedure.
Because surgical instruments were inserted into your urinary tract, you may experience urinary symptoms for some time after surgery. These symptoms usually disappear in a few weeks.
Symptoms may include:
- a mild burning feeling when urinating
- small amounts of blood in the urine
- mild discomfort in the bladder area or kidney area when urinating
- need to urinate more frequently or urgently
- pain resulting from an internal abrasion that needs time to heal
Try to drink fluids often but in small quantities. Sometimes a blood clot can cause pain . The urine contains a substance that will dissolve this clot.
If the pain remains despite the use of pain medication, contact the hospital or your doctor.
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Ureteral Stenting And Nephrostomy
Ureteral stenting and nephrostomy help restore urine flow through blocked ureters and return the kidney to normal function. Ureters are long, narrow tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder. They can become obstructed and urine flow blocked as a result of various conditions. Your doctor may use image guidance to place a thin, flexible tube called a stent into the ureter to restore urine flow. If a stent cannot be placed, he may perform a nephrostomy, during which a tube is placed through the skin into the kidney and connected to either an external drainage bag or the bladder for internal drainage.
Tell your doctor if there is a possibility you are pregnant and discuss any recent illnesses, medical conditions, allergies and medications youre taking. Your doctor may advise you to stop taking aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or blood thinners several days prior to your procedure and instruct you not to eat or drink anything after midnight the night before. Take regular medication with sips of water. Leave jewelry at home and wear loose, comfortable clothing. You may be asked to wear a gown. If you are not to be admitted to the hospital, plan to have someone drive you home afterward.
What Can I Do The First Week After Surgery
- Try to drink enough fluids: 1.5 litres daily throughout the day to facilitate urine flow and the spontaneous loss of small stone fragments.
- Try not to have sex within the first week after the procedure to avoid urinary tract infections.
- Eat more vegetables and less meat to have softer stoolthe inner healing process will be helped if you do not have to squeeze when using the toilet.
- Allow your body to rest during the first week after the procedureyou are allowed to lift a maximum of 5 kg and to go for walks. You can start cycling and exercising after this period.
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Top 10 Facts About Kidneys
Medical Daily reports those in group one were all instructed to have sex at least three times a week, while those in group two were prescribed a drug to help them urinate more easily: tamsulosin.
Group three received the standard medical treatment for kidney stones.
A fortnight later the results showed the men in group one â whoâd been told to have regular sex â were able to pass their kidney stones.
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When The Stent Was Placed During A Procedure For Stone Removal
If a stone is removed during the procedure, it is sent to the laboratory to determine its composition. This may take several weeks. Based on the laboratory results, along with blood and urine tests taken before treatment, your doctor can determine whether you are at high risk of forming new stones .
The results will be discussed with you during an appointment in the hospital or with your doctor .
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What Is A Ureter
A ureter is the tube-like structure that transports the urine from the kidney to the urinary bladder.Ureters run vertically in the mid-part of the abdomen. Typically there is one ureter for each kidney. Some people are born with two ureters to one kidney or two ureters to both kidneys. This is called duplication.
When Might I Need A Ureteral Stent
Ureteral stents are most often used when you need treatment for kidney stones. The team at Stone Relief Center may insert a ureteral stent if you need a ureteroscopy or when using shock waves or a laser to break down the stones.
In addition to keeping the ureter open so you can urinate, the stent helps tiny pieces of stone travel through the ureter without causing a blockage.
Ureteral stents are not routinely used for everyone having their kidney stones removed. However, chances are youll need a stent if you have an infection when the ureter was blocked by the stone, or if the stones are large. The doctor may also insert a ureteral stent before removing kidney stones if you only have one kidney.
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