Peak stent discomfort occurs early and ureteral stent with distal loop design has less pain–A pilot prospective randomised single-blinded trial over 2 weeks

OBJECTIVES: The Polaris™ loop ureteric stent reduces the severity of stent discomfort by minimising stent material in the bladder. Early impact of ureteral stenting on quality of life (QoL) within 1 week remains unclear. The usefulness of the patient-administered ureteral stent symptoms questionnaire (USSQ) during this period of stent insertion was assessed. In this pilot single-blinded prospective randomised study, we investigate 1) the presence of early (within the 1st week) stent discomfort via the visual analog scale (VAS); 2) determine the QoL of the loop stent against conventional stent. METHODS: Forty adults requiring retrograde unilateral ureteral stent placements were enrolled. Patients with single ureteric stone or benign stricture were selected. Patients were randomised in 1:1 ratio to the loop and pigtail arm. The USSQ was administered before placement (baseline), USSQ and VAS were administered on Day 3, 7, and 14. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the USSQ scores. Median pain scores on Day 3 were lower in the loop stent group (2.9 vs. 4.0, p=0.047). There was a significant reduction in pain from Day 3–7 (0 vs. −1, p=0.016) in the pigtail group. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that peak stent discomfort occurs but resolves quickly within 1 week of post-stent insertion. The loop stent offers a better pain profile compared with conventional stents at Day 3 but no difference in QoL. The loop stent reduces early pain experience post-stent insertion and may have a role in the care of patients who experience significant stent discomfort previously.