Ureteral Stent Designs to Reduce Stent-Related Symptoms and Improve Patient Quality of Life

Abstract

AbstractConsidering the impact on the quality of life of patients caused by double-J stents, different strategies have been developed to improve their performance. The exploration of new ureteral stent designs is one of the main pathways, along with the development of materials and coatings. Innovations on stent design have focused on the improvement of patient comfort by mainly decreasing or suppressing vesicoureteral reflux and reducing bladder trigone irritation. Many of these designs are based on changes at the distal end, such as antireflux stents, tail stents, suture stents and intraureteral stents. The trend is therefore towards the reduction of the presence of stent material at the level of the ureterovesical junction. However, the indications of these new designs do not correspond to those of a standard ureteral stent and may be more limited. This will most likely lead to the development of more specific devices adapted to each of the different indications for stenting, with the aim of avoiding stent-related adverse effects that result from the generalized use of standard designs.