Fluoroscopy-guided transurethral removal and exchange of ureteral stents in female patients: Technical notes

Abstract

PURPOSE: To describe simple and safe techniques for transurethral removal and for exchange of ureteral stents in female patients under fluoroscopic guidance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: During a period of 33 months, the authors removed 4 and exchanged 34 double-J ureteral stents in 17 female patients. Four techniques were implemented to remove or exchange these stents: simple snare technique, modified snare technique, guide-wire lasso technique, and direct grasping technique. RESULTS: All stents were either exchanged or removed successfully. The average time elapsed per procedure was 21.5 minutes. Simple snare techniques were used with 19 (50%) stents, and modified snare techniques were used with 13 (34%) stents where grasping the tip of a stent was not possible with the snare alone. Lasso and direct grasping techniques were each used with three (8%) stents. Self-limited microscopic hematuria was observed in all subjects after the procedure, but none reported gross hematuria. CONCLUSIONS: Fluoroscopy-guided transurethral removal and exchange of ureteral stents is a safe and effective procedure, and it can be considered as an alternative to cystoscopic removal and exchange.