What is a stent?
Ureteral stents are soft, hollow, plastic tubes placed temporarily into the ureter to allow drainage around a stone or to speed healing after a stone surgery
When are they needed?
Stents are used for various reasons in patients with kidney stones. They may be placed in patients to help reduce pain from a stone, when infection is present to allow drainage, or when a stone is preventing a kidney from working adequately. Stents are also commonly placed after surgeries for stones, as in ureteroscopy, to allow healing and prevent swelling of the ureter.
How is a stent placed?
Stents are placed during surgery by sliding them over a soft “guidewire” which is placed up the ureter, which is the tube draining the kidney. See a video below of a stent being placed.
How is a stent removed?
Stents can be removed in two different ways. Sometimes, a string is left attached to the end of the stent. This string is allowed to come out of the patient’s urethra, the tube where he or she urinates. The string can be used to pull on the stent and remove it. In cases where a string is not left attached, a small camera called a cystoscope is inserted into the patient’s urethra after numbing medication has usually been administered. The cystoscope is then advanced into the bladder and the stent is grasped with an instrument and removed. See our post on stent removal for a video and more details.
How long can a stent stay in?
In general, most stents should only remain in for no longer than 3 or so months. If a stent is left in too long, it can form stones directly on it, making removal difficult.
What are the symptoms of having a stent?
While some patients with stents have minimal discomfort related to them, other patients will report symptoms that can range from being annoying to being severe enough that the stent has to be removed. These symptoms can include:
- Sensation of needing to urinate
- Seeing blood in the urine
- Bladder spasms
- Burning sensation during urination
- Pain in the back during urination or when moving
- Pain in the bladder
Is there anything that can help reduce the discomfort of a stent?
Different medications may be given to help reduce the discomfort of a stent. The most effective appears to be those from the alpha blocker class of medications including tamsulosin (Flomax) and Alfuzosin (Uroxatral). Other types of medications commonly given for stent discomfort, such as oxybutynin (Ditropan) or phenazopyridine (Pyridium), do not appear to be successful at reducing stent related discomfort in placebo controlled studies. Traditional pain medications are also less successful at reducing stent discomfort.
Hasn’t anyone come up with a better stent?
Research into improving stent designs will hopefully reduce the discomfort associated with them. Innovative stent designs currently being tested include stents embedded with medications to reduce discomfort and stents that dissolve by themselves.
Reading everybody’s comments is really just making me more miserable. Some of you seem to have it much worse than me, but the time frames we are talking is freaking me out. On 9/20, just 10 days ago, I was flying home when the pain started mid-flight. By time we landed an hour and half later, I was asking for a wheelchair and EMS transport to the nearest hospital. After 3 hours of intolerable pain, I finally got a dilaudin injection at the ER, which was wonderful. For 5 minutes. And then the pain began escalating again. I’m sure most of you are nodding your heads at this point in understanding. Well, the ER did a contrast CT. Sent me home with Percocets, diagnosis of a 7mm stone in kidney, and instructions to see a urologist in the morning. Monday morning, I think I’m going to see a Dr and they are going to get me better, when they tell me that because of the contrast from the CT, they can’t see anything on x-ray. Come back next week. ? Next Week ? I started crying. The next day I called our nurse hotline who suggested I talk to my general doctor. A 24 hour wait for that call back and they recommended a different urologist, whom I was able to see Thursday (day 5). That Doc said same thing except that we could put a stent in. So that was done Friday (day 6). Pain relief has been super. He was right, it took my pain from like an 8 to a 2-3. But the stent is darn near unbearable itself. I went back to work yesterday (day 9) and I am using my trusty heating pad, but I’m running to the bathroom every 15-20 minutes. And it hurts and it spasms and I’m seeing more blood today than since Friday. Tomorrow (day 10) I will finally get my xray to see about a lithotripsy and it can’t come fast enough. But reading everyone’s posts, I can’t see doing this for another 10 days. And I wish I could stay home from work, but that is not an option… this is our “busy” season and I’ve already heard the bad comments about me missing all last week as I laid in pain at home with pain meds.
What kind of pain meds are you on? They prescribed me Tramadol most recently, and it works somewhat, but not great. Before, I was on a drug called Ketorolac that could get me through work, and then a Percocet to get me through the evening. The ketorolac is an NSAID, but works wonderfully. It takes a day or so to build up, but then take it in he morning, top it up 6 hours later, and it will get you through your work day (or at least it did for me). Unfortunately, you can only take 2 pills a day, and the drug itself is hard on already beaten down kidneys, so my urologist would only prescribe it for short term (hence why I’m now on Tramadol). The Percocet I would take once I got home and didn’t need to function much anymore. Being a opiate, doctors may be hesitant to prescribe it, and you shouldn’t drive or make important decisions while in it. I’ve just had my 6mm stone removed after finding it in January, and these drugs got me through okay! Now onto the next one (this weren’t my first, probably won’t be my last). Good luck!
Here I sit, in the office, two weeks after having the stent placed after having a 6mm stone removed, worrying about the various aches, pains, visits to the loo and general tiredness. Having found your site and comments I feel a lot more relieved, glad it is not unusual but wish the hospital would hurry up booking me in for removal!
How long after surgery were you able to go into work? I go in to have a 15mm stone removed at the end of the month and have booked a week off. Just wondering if this will be enough time. (I was told I’d have a string attached so I could remove it myself.
Ha your comment made me laugh. Got all the symptoms everyone is talking about. Came out of hospital yesterday thinking I’ll be back at work in a couple of days. Don’t think that’s gonna happen !
First timer here. Yay me… NOT! Last Tuesday I started experiencing horrible pain tht lasted about an hour and then went away for about 2 hours and then came back. After a trip to the ER I found out I had a 3mm stone in my left distal ureter. I was sent home with flomax, dilaudid and phenergan after being given a shot of the dilaudid. Alms it as soon as I left I began vomiting and continued all through the next day. However, I didn’t experience any of the horrible pain. I made a urologist appointment for Thursday thinking I may have passed the stone but just didn’t catch it. That is until I got in the doctors office. Man did the pain come back. I was admitted and had the stone removed with a stunt places. Now dealing wih that “discomfort”. It’s almost as bad as the pain. I too am using a heating pad almost constantly. Going to try to go back to work tomorrow buy not sure how that’s going to work considering my heating pad had became my constant companion. Scheduled to have the stint removed Friday!
You have all made me feel so much better. I have been dealing with 3 stones since July- the biggest one was 1cm. I feel like I have a fairly high pain tolerance and I only missed 1 day of work through all of that. I had the laser removal with stent placement done 2 days ago and have been able to get out of bed for maybe 3 hours total since then. Kidney and bladder spasms, nausea, significant blood in my urine, and it feels like my right kidney is being tied in knots. I called my doctor because he said prior to surgery that there may be ‘some discomfort’ with the stent. However, when I talked to him on the phone he said all of my symptoms are ‘normal’. Not quite the same as ‘some discomfort’. I will keep taking my pain pills, breathing through it, using my heating pad and praying that when I take this stent out tomorrow that I feel like a human again. Stay strong everyone!
I just had a 8mm stone remove.? I had surgery because of its size. I didn’t had a chance to flush it away. My chance was 20%
Just got diagnosed with a 9mm stone on my birthday, 9/26. Had the stent in 9/27. My surgery to remove with by in October.
James I have to reply to this because I just got diagnosed with a 6mm stone on my bday on 9/27 and had the stent put in the same day-still have the stone tho…hope your feeling better!
Dear fellow kidney stone surgery patients. I had 3 stone in right kidney, largest was 7 mm. Was given general anesthesia and the stones were blasted and 2 J-stents put in. My pain after surgery was immediate & so severe the hospital gave me Demeral for 3 hours then released me. Two hours later the acute unbearable pain plus blood in urine continued night & day until 3 day later went to ER and stayed there 4 days with Percoset and Oxycodone and Sodium Cloride bags of liquids in vein to keep me hydrated. My Creatinine went high to a 4 should be around 1. Infection set in. Hospital stay helped manage my agonizing pain. Left with Oxycodone prescription. My blood urine never really cleared. Had no problem with stent removal after 2 weeks. But, blood urine continued so went back to hospital. I am praying this time my kidneys will be taken care of and the blood urine stopped. Sept. 2015
Back here with an update.
Went in for a laser on my stones this Tuesday. Be for I went under I had it out with my Doctor about him telling me what’s going on. and what to expect.
After the surgery, pain all over my body. I had them do a full knock out instead of a spinal. I can say both are terrible. The burning pain for urinating lasted just a day but the rest of the body feels like they went over me with 2 x 4’s. Now Friday most of the pain is under control; with Tylenol 3. Going into his office on Monday for stint removal. He said he got all of the remaining large stones broken up for easy passage. So far so good.
I have two stones 6mm and 4mm on left side. A stent is in place, the plan is to remove stones in two weeks. I have pills for pain, spams, infection and increase flow. Painful always during urinating. I thank each of you for your comments.
so glad to find this site. I had a stent put in today and like most of you was told it will be uncomfortable. The pain is just as bad sometimes worse than stones. I was told to take Tylenol for the pain which does not help It burns when I pee and hurts like Hell afterward. I am very upset that they did not explain fully. It hurts so bad I want to pull it out.
I have a Stent and ur right it hurts they didn’t explain it was going to be painful drink advil something stronger I been drinking advil or motrin I feel like Tylenol don’t work for me the burning while urinating has been better since the 1st day. Omg I couldn’t pee it was horrible???
I was told not to take Advil ever as it can act as a blood thinner. Maybe check that out. My doctor prescribed toradol. It is the only meds I have ever taken for kidney stone pain that numbs it well and doesn’t mess with my head. Much better than Percocet
My ER Dr prescribed toradol, but then the urologist told me not to take it because it too will thin the blood and if they need to do surgery, they don’t want that. Tried Tylenol today, and it didn’t touch it. 🙁
Up here (Canada) it’s called Ketorolac and if ever there was a magic pill, this is it. First time prescribed four years ago. Went from vomiting and a pain of about 9 out of 10 to nothing within 20 to 30 minutes. Carry them everywhere, even after they have expired. Normally there is still enough ‘pop’ in them that it allows me to get to the hospital on my own.
The only problem with is that they take away the pain so well that I don’t notice when I have passed it.
I understand how all of you feel. I had a kidney stone removed on Monday and of course they put a stent in. On Tuesday the pain was so unbearable I was screaming on the toilet when I urinated I thought I was going to pass out. I wanted to go to the ER but my daughter insisted I call the doctor. Doctor said sorry you can’t pull out the stent and we know it’s uncomfortable. Uncomfortable?? It’s beyond that! So they told me to go to the drugstore and get some Phcnazopyridine which is supposed to help with the stent pain. It only took about 50% of the pain away but that was better than nothing. Mine was an outpatient procedure which I thought was bizarre but that’s hospital insurance for you. I had a 7 mm Stone removed which is too big to be just passed through your urethra. I’m going to almost insist they put me to sleep before pulling out that stent. A year ago when I had the same surgery along with a ruptured appendix, the nurse just pulled that stent out like it was nothing and I almost blacked out from the pain. There has got to be a more humane procedure for the removal of kidney stones and everything that goes after it. I hope to God that I never have to go through this again and neither will anyone else. Birthing a child was so much easier than this!
I had a 6mm stone lodged in my ureter that stopped my kidney from working. It hurt like a beast, but after a night in the ER the pain went away, and I ended up having surgery to remove it 2 weeks later. They got the stone, and placed a stent which needed to be in for 7 days. The first couple days were horrible, I couldn’t lay flat, I couldn’t sit up straight, I could just lay in bed propped up with pillows all day & night. I felt like I had the worst uti in the world. I took baths with Epson salt & lavender oil every couple hours, and drank as much as a possibly could. My biggest savor was my heating pad, I sat with it on my lady bits or belly at all times! The last two days I had the stent weren’t awful, but still sucked. I always felt like I had to pee, but the feeling of having a rusty piece of metal in my body had faded.
Yesterday I had that satan stick removed, and the procedure itself was a snap. I didn’t even feel them go in, and had a pain similar to a pap test while it was coming out. I felt great afterwards, and ran around shopping and cleaning house. Then last night I felt like death!!! My kidney hurt, my hip hurt, and I felt like I had an awful uti again. I ended up taking a hot bath (which did nothing), a pain pill, and the bladder spasm meds and I finally fell asleep…oh, and my trusty heating pad! Today I feel alright, but I’m terrified that the pain will return tonight. I can def. put this at the top of my “Things I never want to do again” list!!!
I have a 12 by 28 mm stone clogged in my ureter. First attempt to break it with lazer was unsuccessful. A stent was placed so that my nearly closing ureter open a little. I have it for 2 mnths now. It is hell. I have uncontrollable bladder with spasms plus pain when urinating can’t lay down it hurts. I can’t wait to have it removed. On the 7th of october I wl go for a next.surgery to see if the stone can be broken down I hope this.time it works. This will be the second of many surgeries I wl have I have more.big stones in my kidney. Has any dr told you what causes stones to be produced in the kidney?
I just passed a 10 ml stone! Huge! I had a Stent put in last Sun 9/20/2015! And it really helped relieve the pain from the stone! Hospital told me to take antibiotic for 10 days and then they would remove Stent and blast stone! But I just found the stone in the toilet and it’s because I have been drinking 10 glasses of water a day and today I added lemon juice! Now I hope I can get this stint out cuz it does irritate my stomach! Sore and scratchy! !
I was way WRONG! It was not the 10 ml stone! The Pharmacist at Walgreens said it was an old blood clot! Gross! I’ve been on ciprofloxacin for 8 days now and still uncomfortable from stint and stone! I think I might be getting a yeast infection now from the antiobiotics because everything is itching down there! I just hope I can get some health insurance to help pay for the next surgery to remove stone n stent! This has been a painful month!
Hello all…
Last Wednesday afternoon my kidney stone flared up … Vomiting began and lasted for 17 hours… I had gone to ER. They did CT scan and lots of bloodwork. I had a significant elevation in WBC as well as cells in my urine so they admitted me and decided to do a stent… I thought great – finally some relief!
Well I don’t have near the intense pain but I do have all the similar signs as posted… Pain after urination in my left flank area, always feeling the need to “go”. However it is day 4 and I just can’t shake feeling nauseated (although I haven’t gotten sick) and I am SO tired… All I want to do is sleep.
I am starting to get nervous about my work as I haven’t gone back. Gonna call dr tomorrow and just talk to them about everything… But is anyone else feel like this… Nauseous and like you just ran a marahthon … Having dull pain from time to time and just so so tired?
Thanks!
For those with stent pain and spasms, I found that taking a hot shower for five minutes worked best for me to relax the area immediately. Last two years I had three kidney stones, two removed by ureteroscopy with laser. By all means take your medications to help, but for those that have stents in for longer periods of time and that pain strikes, jump in a hot shower to relax the area.
I’m a 67 year old female and this is me 4th bout with Kidney stones. Pain hit me in left side and wouldn’t stop. Finally decided to go to ER as I was pretty sure it was a kidney stone and once the throwing-up started I knew what it was. ER released me that same night with a 6mm stone pain Meds, antibiotics, Flomax, and nausea pills. Did not get them fill just wanted to get home. I had pain pills from stones before so waited to fill anything. Located my urologist that morning and got an appoint at 3:00 at his office in Dallas, but wasn’t good enough for my husband so he got me in to see him in Mansfield where he was at that time at 11:00. We wanted the nurse in Dallas to get all my records from ER so we wouldn’t have to repeat tests but she was not certain she could do that so once again my husband took charge, called ER told them what we wanted and would pick them up on our way to Mansfields. This was at Baylor in Waxachie. Saw Dr, confirmed stone, kidney full of infection and enlarged. Set me up for surgery to remove stone at Methodist on Colorado next morning. Couldn’t get stone so had to leave stent in to release infection and blood in kidney. Monitored uren to become clear went back 5 days later to see him and had to ask for a X-ray to see if stone was still there. Said it wasn’t necessary but would do so to satisfy me. Stone stil there scheduled surgery which was going to be Oct 12th said no no that wouldn’t work want it out now!! Had a hard time getting a OR but we finally agreed on Sept 23rd. Telling you all this, to say how important it is to stay ahead of the medical profession and not just take whatever they throw at you. Don’t have to be mean just persistent. As for the stent very uncomfortable, a little nausea in morning till around noon, go shopping very little cause it hurts, mostly set. Hate them but thankful for them.
The comments on here make me feel slightly better! I have had issues with stones since 2013. I am a other wise healthy 23 year old female who had never had surgery until this month. I had a breast reduction surgery in sept 3rd and passed a stone with on the surgery table (I had a urinary catch in place). On sept 11th I ended up with another stone but waited 3 days to see a doctor. this time the stone was in my left side not right. My urologist ordered and X-ray which reviled a 4mm stone high up in my ureter. It wasn’t until today that I was able to get my stone blasted. However while under anesthesia he discovered a second stone which he took care of then placed a stent. When I woke up I was in so much pain my vitals were off the charts. The pain wasn’t Coming from my side but from my neither reign! The nurses didn’t seemed worried that I felt like I could start a forest fire with it. After getting home and sleeping it off and ALOT! Of pain meds the pain is not too bad down there however I want to know if anyone else is having or has had sharp pain where the stent should be when urinating?? It seems to be getting worse with every urination.
You really need to call your doctor and have them exams you further none of this sounds right.
Just had a 9 mm stone removed on Sunday. Suffered 17 hours before went to ER (won’t wait so long next time). The stent is very uncomfortable. Urinating is fine until I am done and then I get pain in my kidney area almost as bad as when the kidney stone was trying to come out which lasts about 5 minutes. I have to remove the stent myself on Sunday…I was like really, can I do this. I have visions of pulling and ripping something on the way out! A little nervous, but can’t wait to end this week of agony.
I have a 10mm stone in my right kidney. They tried surgery once but had to stop because my heart went into A Fib and the stone wasn’t in the area they thought it was. A stent was put in to buy time. This stent is not my friend. I have constant pressure like I am trying to birth a Buick, I feel like I always have to pee, and the pain that follows the pee is intense! (Deep breath – this too shall pass.) I am finally seeing a new surgeon next week that can handle the procedure. They are going through the back into the kidney. Has anyone has this that can give me some hope?
32 year old completely healthy female here. Questions for those of you that have or have had a stent…. I had. 4 mm stone that reared its head about three weeks ago. Experienced pain for 5-10 minutes then it stopped (didn’t know it was a stone at that time) fast forward to last week… Stone moved again and the pain persisted. After ER trip confirmed the stone I was referred to urologist who set me up for basket retrieval. During these three weeks, I felt a dull ache in my lower back…like a nagging but not really painful. I am assuming the stone had stopped moving and was just chilling in there. I went in for my basket retrieval they took an x-Ray and no stone. They went ahead and put me under anesthesia and ran the camera up there looking to see if there was anything but NO. Only redness indicating that it had probably passed that morning before I went to the hospital. How frustrating to go through all that. 🙁 questions is where have you guys experienced the pain on your body.(pain from the stent) I’m feeling irritation in the genital area and pelvic/bladder area but also on my back over the kidney area. The pain is similar to where it was with the stone. Makes me wonder if they missed it and the stone is still there or is it normal to have pain in the kidney/back area due to insertion of the stent. Someone else elaborate on the location of your pain when the stent is in. I agree with others who have posted that say their doctor acted like this stent thing would only be uncomfortable-ha!! I’m in pain!
Going on with the third week of the stint. bleeding has finally stopped. Pain is there at time but no where as bad. Still take a pain pill about every other day . Urinating a lot and get up about 6 times a night. Good full flow but so much going to the john. I did pass some stones last week. I still do not know how long the stint will remain in me. Trying to get information of any kind from a urologist is like pulling hens teeth. Is it something with this profession, they cannot tell the patient anything?
Jan, I just had kidney stone surgery. My urologist could’ve have been a ghost, I had to find out the ins and outs about this surgery, stents etc. from a retired nurse. It’s very frustrating.
I went last week being the 9th September to have a stone blasted in my bladder which is 6.2 mm went in feeling ok with pain every now and then spent night in hospital still no answers why i did left on the Thursday morning still with stone in bladder as far as i know they said they couldn’t find it and also left with a stent which is just hell on legs for me pain in lower abdomen, blood when urinating on pain killers and antibiotics from GP not hospital . Pain in lower back , need to go back for a scan in a week times. Please tell me this is all normal. can’t sit for long and can’t stand for long feel like i am going to pee myself all the time just over it.
Do yourself a favor. Ask to be put to sleep when having the stent removed.
I was awake and it was the most excruciating experience of my life….Worked, however. I have been stone free for 20 yrs.
I would get to a urologist asap. Doesn’t sound right. Din’t leave it.
I had my op 1 week ago today to remove a 2cm stone from my left kidney by fragmentation. They didn’t get it all and I’m due to have a repeat op in 3/4 weeks time. I was sent home next day with a stent in place. I’ve just had one of the worst weeks of my life with pain when I lie down. Haven’t been to bed for a week. Sleeping sat up on sofa. Is this normal? Not passing blood now so presume it’s healing? Got severe discomfort in my ureta but no pain on passing water. How long does this go on for? Eating paracetamol like sweeties every 4 hours.
I’m grateful for all the comments on here, it always helps to know that you’re not alone.
I have had a ureteroscopy this morning to have 3 large stones blasted and removed. I am relieved to report that they were able to successfully complete the operation having been warned that they might not have been able to do more than put in a stent initially. So I’m pretty happy with that.
I was also warned that I would have a stent afterwards and that it would be uncomfortable and that is exactly what it is, with odd bouts of pain and nausea chucked in to make it a bit more interesting! I am having the stent removed on Monday (today is Thursday) by its little string and then I hope to begin to feel the benefits of my operation. So far I feel slightly different to before and slightly worse rather than better but I know exactly what is causing the discomfort now and that it will be far simpler to remove than the stones which makes it easier to bear.
Be strong my fellow stoners and stent wearers – think like an oyster growing a pearl and look forward to the future with healthier kidneys.
Good luck!
Thanks for sharing your experience with the stent.I going thru a rough time pain when I urine as well with blood.I’m miserable pressure in my bladder just want to lay down this is depressing.
I hope someone can help me. I had a 2 cm kidney stone blasted on sept. 1 on left Kidney.Doc said the stone had damaged part of my kidney.I never had pain. A stent was inserted they sent me home the same day. That night I had to get readmitted due to a fever of 102 they found no infection. I was released after 3 days.. I still have a fever of, taking acetaminophen and antibiotics. Has anyone heard of having a fever after a week?
I am 57 .