Forgotten Double-J ureteral stent: An analysis of 25 cases in a tertiary hospital

INTRODUCTION: Double-J (DJ) ureteral stents are considered basic and common in daily urological practice. We aim to share our experience of managing 25 cases of forgotten double-J (DJ) stents in our tertiary care center. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We did a retrospective analysis of cases with forgotten DJ stent for a period of one year spanning from February 2021 to February 2022. Detailed information like age, sex, the indication for insertion of the double-J, the period of insertion, presenting symptoms, and the definite procedure performed to remove the double-J. RESULTS: The total number of cases was 25. We had 60% of patients underwent previous procedure in our hospital and the rest 40% were in other centers. The mean age was 38.44 years. The mean duration of the indwelling stent was 20.36 months, and the duration ranged from 13 months to 33 months. Most common indications for stenting were URS (64%). Presenting complaints were dysuria (n = 19; 76%), hematuria (n = 13, 52%), flank pain (n = 9; 36%), storage lower urinary tract symptoms (n = 8; 32%), and recurrent urinary tract infection (n = 5; 20%). Several complications were noted during or after forgotten stent removal like stent fragmentation (20%), fever (16%), sepsis (8%), and hematuria requiring transfusion (4%). CONCLUSION: Forgotten double-J ureteral stents are a source for morbidity. Patients should be educated about the complications of the forgotten double-J. Creating a scheduled program for notifying patients with double-J stent is another good way.