Forgotten double-J stent: Experience of a tertiary care center

INTRODUCTION: We share our experience of managing 15 cases of forgotten double-J (DJ) stent in our tertiary care center. METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of cases with forgotten DJ stent for a period of 2 years spanning from January 2017 to January 2019. The details included sex, age, literacy, socioeconomic status, stenting indication, duration of indwelling stent, presenting complaints, type of encrustations, various treatments given, intraoperative complications, and their management and eventual outcome. RESULTS: The male-to-female ratio was 2:1, and the mean age was 39.5 years (17–65). The mean indwelling time was 31.7 months. The majority of patients had an education score of 1 out of 7 and belonged to lower socioeconomic class according to the modified Kuppuswamy scale. The most common presentation was irritative voiding symptom. The complicated and heavily encrusted stents were managed by combination of endourological procedures, and procedures were staged whenever deemed necessary. Majority of the stents were removed with simple retrograde cystoscopic removal. There was no mortality in our study. CONCLUSIONS: A forgotten DJ stent affects population having low education score and belonging to the lower end of the socioeconomic class. Endourological procedures are quite successful in managing a forgotten DJ stent, provided the treatment options are selected judiciously and meticulously. We also suggest some protocols to be followed in our study in order to prevent a forgotten DJ stent.