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HomeExclusiveDoes It Hurt To Have A Kidney Stent Removed

Does It Hurt To Have A Kidney Stent Removed

How To Remove Your Stent

Why do I have pain after my stent was removed?-Dr. Manohar T
  • Wash and clean your hands thoroughly
  • It is important to try and relax. This will make removal easier.
  • Take hold of the string and with a firm, steady motion, pull the stent until it is out. Remember that it is approximately 25-30 cm long. This will feel uncomfortable but it should not be painful.
  • Once the stent is removed you will probably experience some pain the next time you pass urine and you may also notice blood in your urine. This is quite normal and it will pass.

    Make sure you drink enough fluid to keep your urine a pale yellow colour. This will reduce the likelihood of blood clots in your urine.

    If you feel that you are unable to remove the stent by yourself, dont be concerned. Contact Urology Associates and arrange a time to have the stent removed by a nurse.

    What Are The Anesthesia Options

    The procedure of DJ stent removal can be performed in local anesthesia, regional or spinal anesthesia as well as in general anaesthesia. We recommend getting the procedure done under local anaesthesia as it offers many advantages. The biggest advantage of local anaesthesia over the other forms of anaesthesia is its safety. Local anaesthesia does not require any fasting, testing or prior preparations. It is possible to get discharged from the hospital within a few hours of the procedure. It is also possible to continue daily routine without much disruption. Regional and general anaesthesia score over local anaesthesia in terms of a nearly painless experience however in our opinion the pain of administration of anaesthesia is often more than the discomfort experienced during DJ stent removal under local anaesthesia.

    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.

    Read Also: Is Triamterene Bad For Your Kidneys

    How Can I Help My Child

    A ureteral stent sometimes can be uncomfortable and cause some blood in the pee. Here’s how to help your child feel more comfortable until the stent comes out.

    Give medicines as directed:

    • Medicine for bladder spasms: The stent can irritate the bladder, making it . This can be uncomfortable and make your child need to pee often. The stent also can cause pain with peeing, which sometimes is felt over the bladder or the back. Give the recommended medicine for spasms to help your child feel more comfortable. This medicine also can help reduce blood in the pee.
    • Other medicines: If the doctor prescribed other medicines, give them exactly as directed.

    Encourage your child to drink lots of caffeine-free liquids:

    • Drinking and peeing a lot can help kids feel more comfortable and reduce blood in the pee.
    • Send a water bottle to school or childcare to encourage your child to drink throughout the day.

    Watch the amount of blood in the pee:

    • It’s normal for your child’s pee to have some blood in it while the stent is in. As long as it’s light , it’s nothing to worry about.

    Watch for constipation, which can make pain from a stent worse:

    • Many kids have constipation after surgery or while taking medicine for spasms or pain. If your child is constipated, talk to the urologist. Often, medicines and diet changes can help.

    Follow up with the as instructed so that the stent is removed on time.

    Who Needs Ureteral Stents

    Double J Stent Kidney Stones

    Sometimes ureters can become blocked so that urine cant drain as usual. A ureteral stent can clear the ureter so your kidneys can work as they should.

    The most common use of ureteral stents is to allow urine to flow through the ureter around a kidney stone thats blocking urine flow. Also, your provider may use a stent after breaking up kidney stones to prevent blockage from the passing fragments. Stents can also be used after kidney stone removal to prevent the ureter from getting blocked by postoperative swelling.

    Healthcare providers also use ureteral stents to treat ureteral obstructions due to:

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    When To See A Healthcare Provider

    People will often assume that sudden flank pain is caused by a pulled muscle or overexertion, and, in many cases, it will be.

    If the pain persists, worsens, or is accompanied by urinary symptoms or signs of infections, you should see your healthcare provider as soon as possible. This is especially true if you are experiencing high fever, chills, vomiting, or the inability to urinate.

    Even if a kidney infection is mild, it can sometimes progress and lead to bacteremia if left untreated. This is a condition in which a local bacterial infection âspills overâ over into the bloodstream, causing systemic and potentially life-threatening symptoms, including irregular body temperatures, disruptions in breathing, a severe drop in blood pressure, and shock.

    Given that acute pyelonephritis can strike in as little as two days, a rapid response is essential.

    The same applies if you experience a dull but persistent pain alongside uncommon symptoms such as painful urination, chronic fatigue, or unexplained weight loss. None of these should be considered normal, and you shouldnât wait until there is visible blood in urine to seek care.

    If you are pregnant, dont assume that persistent back pain is pregnancy-related. Be cognizant if there is a dull ache across your lower back or along the sides of your back between the ribs and hips. If accompanied by symptoms of infection or changes in urination, call your healthcare provider immediately.

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    Time Your Fluid Intake

    Youll want to drink plenty of water after you have a stent placed. This will help you flush blood and urine through your kidneys.

    However, drinking too much water close to bedtime can cause you to make several additional trips to the bathroom at night.

    To address this concern, try to drink plenty of water during the day and start to taper off your intake after dinner. This can help reduce the urinary frequency and urgency you may experience at night.

    Your goal will be to keep your urine pale yellow whenever possible. This color indicates that youre hydrated.

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    What To Expect After Ureteral Stent Removal

    If your stent is only required for a short period of time, your doctor will then remove the stent from your ureters. This process, like the implanting of the stent, will require a recovery time that may be marked with symptoms and side effects that patients should be aware of.

    The removal of a stent can, again, be followed by a period of frequent urination. When urinating, patients can expect to feel some burning or discomfort for a couple of days after the procedure. Despite this discomfort, patients are encouraged to drink a lot of water and other fluids to prompt the production of urine that will aid in flushing out the ureters and encourage a full recovery. You may also notice some blood in your urine. This is normal, although you should notify your doctor if it doesnt go away or gets worse after several days of recovery.

    Some patients may instantly sleep better after a stent removal, while others may still be kept awake by discomfort or pain. Your doctor may encourage you to continue taking medications as you recover from the stent removalespecially if you suffered from sleep issues while the stent was in place.

    Your doctor may have other recommendations or guidance to recover after a stent removal. Always follow your doctors instructions to support a smooth recovery and avoid the risk of post-stent complications, such as a urinary tract infection.

    Got More Questions About The Dj Stent Find Answers Here

    Kidney Stent Removal | What is Involved in Kidney Stent Removal

    Why is a DJ Stent Placed ?

    A double J stent is placed to bypass the flow of urine from the kidney to the urinary bladder. This helps to save the function of the kidney by relieving the obstruction. A double J stent is often placed after endoscopic stone procedures such as percutaneous nephrolithotomy and ureterorenoscopy. A Double J Stent may also be placed in cases where there is a blockage in the flow of urine from the kidney to the bladder because of an injury or obstruction in the ureter.

    How long can a DJ stent be Kept ?

    The material and quality of the DJ stent guide the time for which it can be placed. Most commonly used DJ stent is the one which can be placed for a period of 3 months. Specially designed Stents can be placed for a duration of 6 months to 1 year. In cancer cases were long term stent is required silver metallic stent can also be placed which is usually changed annually.

    Anesthesia options?

    Read Also: What Are The Advantages Of Having Two Kidneys

    Problems Caused By Ureteral Stents

    Even though placing ureteral stents helps in preventing the blockage of urine in the kidneys, it has some problems. Many patients feel a lot of discomfort during the process, and there is no other option but to bear the pain for a few days or weeks. In this regard, let us look into some of the common problems caused by ureteral stents.

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    Kidney Stones And Stents

    As a frequent maker of kidney stones I have for the last 4 years have been operated on approximately every 6 months for stone removal the last 3 times I have been fitted with jj stents which cause me absolutely agony ,I am unable to work with these stents inside me and have now lost my job .am I unusual in having this agony ?the specialists all seem to think I should be able to cope. How long do people put up with the agony before going to a& e?

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    What Happens To Patients

    As a result, there is no standard of care regarding how to optimally manage such patients. In all cases it is first imperative to rule out other potential sources of pain however, such workups often end with the same result a patient with bothersome flank pain and evidence of one or more nonobstructing stones on imaging.

    Lacking a physiologic explanation to explain their symptoms, patients with pain and non obstructing stones are often sent for detailed workups, secondary and tertiary consultations and referral to pain specialists and even psychiatrists. However, in an age where flexible ureteroscopy can be performed quite safely and on an outpatient basis one must wonder whether such patients are being treated appropriately.

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    How Are Ureteral Stents Removed

    Kidney Stone Removal Stent Pain

    Some short-term ureteral stents have strings that hang outside the urethra, where pee comes out. Your healthcare provider gently pulls on the string to remove the ureteral stent.

    If you need a ureteral stent for a few weeks or longer, the stent wont have a string. Your provider removes the stent during a minor office procedure. You may get X-rays or an ultrasound before removal. This imaging assures the provider that your kidney stone or other issue has resolved.

    To remove the stent during a procedure, your provider:

    • Inserts a cystoscope through the urethra and into the bladder.
    • Uses tiny clamps attached to the cystoscope to grab onto the stent.
    • Gently removes the stent.

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    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.

    Pain After Kidney Stone Removal And Stent Treatment:

    Renal colic or abdominal pain after kidney stone removal and stent can be managed with adequate fluid intake, analgesics along with anti-inflammatory and antibiotics to prevent urinary tract infection.If the pain becomes unbearable or if the signs and symptoms become severe, the prompt treatment is to remove the stent in-situ.Keeping the DJ stent inside the kidneys for long durations can create major complications like:

  • Migration of stent
  • Serious complications resulting in death in case of forgotten stents for more than 6 months.
  • Since all stents are prone to degradation effects, especially if the urine is acidic, the ideal duration to remove or replace the stent is 2-4 months.

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    What Is Known To Date

    Such patients are frequently encountered. Despite a lack of physiologic explanation as to why these non-obstructing stones may cause pain, there is emerging evidence that they do and therefore that removal can cure it.

    In 2006 Taub et al. described outcomes of twenty such patients who had chronic flank pain as well as radiographically evident calcifications within their papillae without obvious collecting system stones. Ureteroscopy with laser papillotomy to unroof and remove all evident stone was performed on twenty seven kidneys. Pain improvement was seen in 85% of cases with a durable improvement for greater than one year in nearly 60% of cases.

    This study was then repeated on a multi-institutional level with 65 patients undergoing similar procedures over a ten year period. Overall there were 176 procedures performed in this cohort with patients reporting less pain after the procedure 85% of the time. The mean duration of response was 26 months with 60% of patients having sustainable improvements in their pain levels for over one year.

    Finally, this clinical scenario is seen commonly enough that it garnered its own nickname at Massachusetts General Hospital where it has been described as small stone syndrome. In a retrospective review of patients treated there with ureteroscopic removal of small nonobstructing stones for reasons related to chronic pain, 11/13 patients reported being pain free after the procedure with the other two noting a partial response.

    How Is The Procedure Performed

    Treatment: Stent pain that can occur after kidney stone surgery.

    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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    How To Relieve Ureteral Stent Pain

    Kidney stones suck. Sorry to be blunt, but they just do. I feel pain myself every time I see one of my patients doubled over in pain, begging me to remove their kidney stone.

    As many of you who have had a kidney stone in the past already know, the pain doesnât end with the kidney stone removal. There is the dreaded ureteral stent. Ugh.

    Sometimes, the ureteral stent pain is worse than the kidney stone itself. Medicine fails us if the cure is worse than the disease.

    You may be asking yourself, âwhy are ureteral stents necessary?â or âwhy do ureteral stents hurt so much?â or âwhat the heck is a ureteral stent?â. Well youâre in the right place.

    At VirtuCare we believe that education and patient awareness is essential to better healthcare. Allow the kidney stone expert to walk you through a class called Ureteral Stents 101 so you can be better prepared for that evil tube in your plumbing system. Youâre not alone in your ureteral stent pain.

    Is My Pain Normal After Stent Placement

    live42day140522 over a year ago

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    over a year ago

    WHAT THE DOCTORS DON’T TELL YOU

    over a year ago

    In reply to sickofdrs on 2012-05-14 – click to read

    over a year ago

    In reply to bubbaluvsgaaba on 2012-10-15 – click to read

    johnny5 over a year ago

    Strumforchrist over a year ago

    I had a 10mm stone removed yesterday from my right ureter and a stent put in place for the next 6 days. I was very fortunate while I had the kidney stone as I felt some discomfort but none of the terrible pain I’ve read others have with them.

    I’m thankful for the posts here as they prepared me for what I might be in for after surgery. The spasms were very uncomfortable yesterday, as well as all the pressure in the urinary track and rectum! Make sure your doctor provides you with anti-spasm meds. They will be your best friend. Also something for the nausea as many of the meds I’m taking with this are causing me to feel nauseas. Ther narcotics provide have not really helped and give me a headache and sick to my stomach as well.

    Try to drink plenty of water/fluids as they will help in the healing process.

    over a year ago

    In reply to johnny5 on 2012-12-18 – click to read

    over a year ago

    Hi everyone

    Guest over a year ago

    Guest over a year ago

    over a year ago

    I’ll start this post with some information about myself:

    The surgery:

    The first 48 hours after surgery:

    I thought I would post a few things that helped me and continue to help me get through the pain, and some suggestions to make this easier .

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