Ureteric stents in pyeloplasty: a help or a hindrance?

ObjectiveTo examine whether routine ureteric stenting influences outcome of pyeloplasty for pelvi-ureteric junction obstruction (PUJO).Patients and methodsA 10-year review was conducted of 105 consecutive open Anderson–Hynes dismembered pyeloplasties performed for PUJO, covering two periods: (1) pyeloplasties performed without ureteric stents (1994–1998) and (2) pyeloplasties performed with ureteric stents (1999–2003). Outcomes (expressed as means ± SEM) of unstented patients (UPs; n = 47) and stented patients (SPs; n = 58) were compared and results analysed using ANOVA and chi-square tests.ResultsFifty-five patients (53.9%) presented with antenatal hydronephrosis, whilst 47 (46.1%) presented postnatally (at mean age 88.4 ± 7.1 months) with one or more of the following: pain (n = 30, 63.8%), urinary tract infection (n = 16; 34.0%), haematuria (n = 3, 6.4%), abdominal mass (n = 3, 6.4%), acute renal failure (n = 2, 4.3%), incidental finding (n = 4, 8.5%). Pyeloplasty was performed (at mean age 58.9 ± 5.3 months) for one or more of the following: pain (n = 40, 38.1%), haematuria (n = 6, 5.7%), urinary tract infection (n = 18, 17.1%), poor initial or deteriorating function (n = 29, 27.6%), severe or deteriorating hydronephrosis (n = 41, 39.0%), calculus (n = 1, 0.95%). Recognised complications of surgery were significantly higher in UPs (5 of 47; 10.6%) than SPs (0 of 58); P = 0.016. These were leakage (n = 4, 8.5%) and obstruction by blood clot (n = 1, 2.1%). Nine SPs (15.5%) developed stent-related complications, including stent migration (n = 5, 8.6%), infection (n = 3, 5.2%) and calculus (n = 1, 1.7%). SPs had significantly shorter hospital stay (2.71 ± 0.25 days) than UPs (4.30 ± 0.38 days); P < 0.01. Preoperative renal pelvis antero-posterior diameter in SPs (3.24 ± 0.25 cm) and UPs (3.21 ± 0.28 cm) was comparable (P = 0.80). Following pyeloplasty, a significant improvement from these preoperative baselines occurred earlier in SPs (at 3.10 ± 0.46 months) than UPs (at 15.71 ± 3.05 months); P < 0.01.ConclusionStented pyeloplasty significantly reduces complications from surgery, particularly leakage, and results in shorter hospital stay and earlier resolution of hydronephrosis, but at the expense of stent-related complications which could be avoided in future by the use of external stents.