DJ (Double J) stents are commonly placed after urological procedures but they create problems and hamper return to work in many patients just because adequate information is not given to the patients regarding care and expected outcomes. Many patients have no idea that stents have been placed and they keep harboring them inside leading to formation of stones and renal damage.
At UROCENTRE we follow a strict protocol to help patients embrace stents rather than resent them. This protocol follows these crucial steps:
- Educating patient regarding the DJ stent
- Making patient understand why the Stent has been placed
- Acquainting patient with problems that arise because of the stent
- Ensuring Early removal
- Stent Tracking to prevent forgotten stents
This page is a part of the same initiative to help people understand stents and not fear them.
Understand what a DJ stent is
DJ stent is a long hollow plastic wire with multiple holes that is placed between the kidney and the bladder into the ureter and allows free passage of urine from the kidney to the urinary bladder.
Understand why the Stent has been placed
Stent is placed to relieve and possible obstruction or blockage arising due to temporary swelling or residual stone dust. We ensure that the Stent is placed only if it is really required and inform the patient why we chose to put it for patient safety.
Understand problems that arise because of the stent
Every patient gets a card that informs them of the type of stent placed, removal date and problems that may be expected to happen because of the stent. Here is a list of problems that arise due to the stent inside the body
- Feeling to go to the washroom again and again as the stent irriates the bladder
- Bleeding in urine that increases when there is exertion. Bleeding arises because the stent causes abrasions on the skin of the bladder
- Pain in the back while passing urine because of the reflux of urine back into the kidney while voiding
- Persistant infection arises in some patients because of bacteria forming a film on the stent because it is a foreign body.
- Stent migration, occlusion, encrustation, fragmentation, and stone formation are some medical complications related to the stent if they are not removed in time so the stent has to be removed on the date mentioned in the discharge or your card
Ensuring Early Removal
We remove stents as early as a week after surgery to reduce stent related symptoms. Only in rare cases where reconstruction has been performed the stents are left for longer duration. The stents are removed under antibiotic cover to prevent infection
How to make stents more tolerable
There are a list of tips that patients can follow to make stents tolerable
- Drink water only as required. More water means more peeing and more discomfort
- Rest as much as possible. Exertion causes stent related problems
- Dont strain yourself to pass urine. The more you strain the more urine will reflux
