A ureteral stent is a thin, flexible tube placed between the kidney and bladder to help urine drain. It may be needed when a stone blocks the ureter or when swelling after treatment could interfere with drainage.
A stent helps urine flow; it does not necessarily remove the stone. Some people still need a separate stone procedure after the stent is inserted.
Before leaving hospital, make sure you know why the stent was placed, when it should be removed or exchanged, and whom to contact if the appointment does not arrive.
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For optional reading alongside medical advice, view the Kidney Stone Removal Report. It is an information product and cannot replace drainage, stone treatment, or a scheduled stent-removal appointment.
What Is a Ureteral Stent?
The ureter carries urine from the kidney to the bladder. A stent sits inside this tube, providing a route for drainage.
Many stents have a curl at each end: one rests in the kidney and the other in the bladder. These curls help hold it in position. You may hear it called a ureteric stent, double-J stent, or JJ stent.
Is It the Same as a Catheter?
No. A bladder catheter usually drains urine from the bladder into an external bag. A standard internal ureteral stent drains into the bladder, so it does not normally require an external collection bag.
A nephrostomy tube is another type of drainage device. It enters the kidney through the skin and drains urine outside the body.
Why Is a Stent Used for Kidney Stones?
| Situation | What the stent may do |
|---|---|
| A stone obstructs drainage | Help urine bypass the obstruction |
| Swelling follows stone treatment | Maintain drainage while the ureter recovers |
| The ureter is too narrow for planned ureteroscopy | Allow a staged approach before another procedure |
| An obstructed kidney is infected | Provide urgent drainage as part of emergency treatment |
The reason for insertion determines the next step. Ask whether the stone was treated at the same time or whether treatment is still pending.
An infected obstruction may require antibiotics and urgent drainage with a stent or nephrostomy. Definitive stone treatment is generally delayed until the infection is controlled.
Does Everyone Need a Stent After Ureteroscopy?
No. A stent may be unnecessary after an uncomplicated procedure, but the surgeon may recommend one because of swelling, injury, remaining fragments, or concerns about drainage.
The decision depends on what happened during treatment and your individual circumstances.
Our lithotripsy and ureteroscopy comparison explains how these procedures differ.
How Is the Stent Inserted?
A stent is commonly placed using a telescope passed through the urethra into the bladder. The clinician guides it into the ureter, usually with imaging assistance.
It may be inserted during stone surgery or as a separate procedure. Anesthesia arrangements depend on the situation.
Before the procedure, tell the team about your medicines, allergies, and any possible pregnancy. Follow their instructions about fasting and transport home.
What Symptoms Are Common?
A stent can irritate the bladder and urinary tract. Symptoms may include:
- Needing to urinate more often.
- A sudden urge to urinate.
- Burning or discomfort during urination.
- Bladder, groin, or flank discomfort.
- Small amounts of blood in the urine.
Some symptoms can persist while the stent remains in place. Discomfort or bleeding may become more noticeable after physical activity.
Common does not mean you must tolerate severe symptoms without help. Contact the treating team if discomfort disrupts sleep, work, or normal activity despite your prescribed treatment.
Stent Symptoms or a Complication?
Symptoms can overlap, so you cannot reliably diagnose the cause at home.
| Finding | What to do |
|---|---|
| Mild urgency, frequency, or intermittent discomfort | Follow your discharge plan; contact the team if persistent or troublesome |
| Fever, chills, or feeling markedly unwell | Seek urgent medical assessment |
| Inability to urinate | Seek urgent assessment |
| Severe or worsening pain | Get prompt medical help |
| Heavy bleeding or significant clots | Seek urgent assessment |
| Stent falls out or appears displaced | Contact the urology team promptly |
Do not dismiss fever or severe pain as an expected effect of the stent.
New continuous urine leakage can also warrant assessment, particularly if it differs from your usual urgency symptoms.
Managing Everyday Discomfort
Follow the Prescribed Medicine Plan
Your clinician may recommend pain relief or medicine for stent-related symptoms. Alpha blockers can reduce stent discomfort in selected patients.
Do not start leftover medicines or change doses without advice.
Follow Your Fluid Advice
Drink according to your discharge instructions and any existing fluid restriction. If you have heart or kidney disease, ask for an individualized target.
Do not try to treat severe pain, fever, or inability to urinate by forcing large amounts of water.
Adjust Activity to Your Symptoms
Physical activity can increase discomfort or blood in the urine. Ask about work, lifting, exercise, and travel, especially if these activities worsen symptoms.
If your stent has an external string, ask about sexual activity and precautions against accidentally pulling it.
If you explore the Kidney Stone Removal Report, do not use a home-remedy schedule to postpone assessment of worsening symptoms or delay stent removal.
How Long Does a Stent Stay In?
There is no single duration for every stent.
Some postoperative stents remain for only a few days. Others are needed longer while further treatment is arranged. Your urologist must specify the timing for your particular device and situation.
Before discharge, write down:
- The insertion date.
- Which side was treated.
- The reason for the stent.
- Whether a stone remains.
- The planned removal or exchange date.
- The contact number for the responsible team.
Do not use a general online time limit as permission to delay your own appointment.
What Is a “Stent on a String”?
Some temporary stents have a fine extraction string extending through the urethra. It allows removal without a cystoscope in suitable cases.
Do not tug, cut, or remove the string unless the treating team specifically instructs you to do so. Be careful not to catch it during washing or dressing.
If the string disappears, breaks, or is accidentally pulled, contact the team. Do not attempt to retrieve it yourself.
How Is a Ureteral Stent Removed?
Removal Using a String
A nurse or clinician can remove a suitable stent by gently pulling the extraction string. Some services arrange self-removal, but only with explicit instructions and an agreed date.
The presence of a string alone does not mean you should remove it yourself.
Removal With Flexible Cystoscopy
If there is no external string, a thin flexible telescope may be passed through the urethra into the bladder. The clinician grasps the lower end of the stent and withdraws it.
This is often an outpatient procedure using local anesthetic gel, although arrangements vary.
Ask about pain relief, transport, and preparation before the appointment.
What Happens After Removal?
Temporary burning, urinary frequency, or lightly blood-stained urine may occur after removal and often settle over the next day or two.
Follow your aftercare instructions. Seek help for fever, inability to urinate, heavy bleeding, or severe or persistent pain.
Stent removal does not always complete the entire stone-care plan. Confirm whether further imaging, stone treatment, or prevention assessment is needed.
Why Follow-Up Must Not Be Missed
A stent left beyond its intended duration can become coated with mineral deposits, sometimes called encrustation. This may make removal more difficult and increase complications.
Longer-term drainage, when necessary, needs a planned exchange schedule.
If your removal or exchange date approaches without an appointment:
- Contact the urology department.
- Explain that you have a stent awaiting removal or exchange.
- Give the insertion date and treating clinician’s name.
- Ask for a confirmed plan.
Do this even if you feel comfortable. Lack of symptoms does not cancel the need for follow-up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a stent dissolve or remove the stone?
No. Its main purpose is drainage. Stone removal may have happened during the same procedure, or it may still be planned. Ask which applies to you.
Can I still get an infection with a stent?
Yes. Having a stent does not prevent urinary infection. Fever, chills, or feeling unwell need medical assessment.
Is blood in the urine always normal?
Small amounts can occur, but heavy bleeding, clots, or difficulty urinating need prompt assessment. Follow the thresholds described in your discharge instructions.
Can I work or travel with a stent?
Often, but symptoms, the underlying stone problem, recent anesthesia, and the removal schedule matter. Discuss plans with your team and keep access to medical help in mind.
What should I do if the stent comes out early?
Contact the treating team promptly. Do not try to push it back in. Seek urgent care if this is accompanied by severe pain, fever, or difficulty urinating.
What comes after the stent is removed?
Ask whether stone clearance needs confirmation and whether any recovered stone was analyzed. Our recurrent kidney stone guide covers prevention discussions after repeated episodes.
Optional further reading: Kidney Stone Removal Report. Purchasing a report is not necessary to receive appropriate stent care, removal, or follow-up.
Resources
- British Association of Urological Surgeons: Ureteric Stent Advice
- NIDDK: Cystoscopy and Ureteroscopy
- Gloucestershire Hospitals: Having a Ureteric Stent
- University Hospitals Plymouth: Managing a Ureteric Stent After Ureteroscopy
- Cleveland Clinic: Ureteral Stents
- European Association of Urology: Urolithiasis Guidelines
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Medical disclaimer: This article provides general information and does not replace personalized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Follow your treating team’s instructions for stent care, removal, exchange, and urgent assessment.