Retrograde ureteral stent exchange under fluoroscopic guidance.

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of fluoroscopy-guided retrograde double-J stent exchange. MATERIALS AND METHODS Between March 2003 and June 2005, 39 retrograde ureteral stent exchange procedures on 19 patients and 24 ureters were performed under fluoroscopic guidance. Seventeen of the patients were female and 2 were male. All procedures were done on an outpatient basis unless the patient was already an inpatient. All exchanges were performed through 10 F introducer sheaths. Once the stent was grasped, the sheath, the snare and/or the wire holding the stent were pulled out as a unit. For retrieving the stents, several different techniques (guide wire lasso and wire snaring) were used in addition to simple snare technique. Two parallel stents were placed for each ureter in 2 patients (3 ureters) after a history of stent occlusion in less than 3 months. RESULTS Technical success rate was 100%. Procedure time ranged from 16 to 38 minutes (average, 21 min). There were no major complications. All patients had minor hematuria after the procedure which resolved within one day. CONCLUSION Fluoroscopy-guided retrograde double-J stent exchange is a safe and effective procedure and can easily be performed with equipment and techniques used in daily interventional practice.