Noncystoscopic removal of retained ureteral stents in children: A retrospective study from a single-center

Cystoscopic technique is the current common method of retrieving double J ureteral stent in most pediatric urological centers. In this study, we evaluated the feasibility and efficacy of a novel noncystoscopic method to remove retained ureteral stents in pediatric patients. We reviewed all medical records from a total of 102 patients who were treated in our hospital between January 2013 and December 2016 to remove the double J ureteral stent retained into the ureter. The pediatric patients were divided into 2 groups based on different surgical options: cystoscopic group and noncystoscopic group. The surgery time (including time for instrument preparation), operation time, expenses, postoperative urination discomfort, and hospitalization were compared between the 2 groups. The noncystoscopic group took significantly less time for surgery and operation than the cystoscopic group (surgery time:7.40 ± 3.75 vs 18.42 ± 2.77 min, P <.05; operation time: 3.54 ± 2.03 vs 4.48 ± 2.04 min, P <.05). The mean spending for patients in the noncystoscopic group were less than that in the cystoscopic group ($736.70 ± 105.96 vs $618.23 ± 110.31, P <.05). There were less children with postoperative urination discomforts in the noncystoscopic group than that in the cystoscopic group (8 vs 20 cases, χ(2) = 4.241, P <.05). The mean hospitalization of the noncystoscopic group was shorter than that of the cystoscopic group (3.20 ± 1.25 vs 4.13 ± 1.63 d, P <.05). The differences in all comparison projects were significant. The noncystoscopic procedure is a safe and viable technique that may be used successfully in pediatric urology. This novel procedure which is much safer and more affordable provides an alternative solution to remove retained ureteral stents in child patients.