Patient-Reported Stent Symptom Outcomes and Migration Rates Following Modified Single-J Ureteric Stent Insertion After Ureteroscopy

Brief Summary

This study investigates whether a modified Single-J ureteric stent (SJS) is a safe and better-tolerated alternative to the standard Double-J stent (DJS) following ureteroscopy (URS) for kidney and ureteric stone disease. Standard DJS are routinely placed after URS but frequently cause significant patient discomfort, including urinary urgency, frequency, pain, and haematuria. The SJS is created by modifying a commercially available Bander Ureteral Diversion Stent - retaining the proximal renal coil but removing the distal bladder loop - with the aim of reducing these lower urinary tract symptoms while maintaining adequate ureteric drainage and positional stability. Eligible participants are adults aged 18 or older who are already pre-stented with a DJS and are scheduled for elective URS at Austin Health (Austin Hospital or Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital, Melbourne, Australia). At the time of URS, the existing DJS is replaced with the modified SJS. Participants complete a validated symptom questionnaire - the Ureteral Stent Discomfort Test (USDT) - both before URS (with DJS in situ) and at the time of stent removal approximately two weeks later (with SJS in situ), enabling a direct within-patient comparison. Stent migration is assessed cystoscopically at removal. The study aims to enrol 40 participants over approximately six months.