Stent fitting

Heya ForAlice, 

Sorry to hear that your wife is having issues at the moment! Obviously made worse by the current pandemic going on too! 

I've not had a stent myself, but I'll tag in  as I believe she has had that procedure and might be able to help.

Best of luck to you both! 

Lass

Xx

Much appreciated thanks very much!

Hi

I have indeed had more than one uteric stent. Here’s what I know. It’s a tube that is inserted into the ureter that runs from the kidney down to the bladder. It keeps this tiny tube open, allowing the urine to drain from the kidney to the bladder. If that tube is blocked, urine collects on the kidney and will make you feel very unwell. Eventually the kidney will die. So it’s an important procedure. 

It can be done in one of two ways. The most common is to insert the tube up through the bladder and into the kidney. This is done under general anaesthetic, usually as a day case. Your wife will need to go to hospital for a pre operative assessment a few days before the procedure and to fast before going into hospital on the day. She should be able to go home the same day. 

The other way is in through a hole in your back, using x-rays and ultrasound to guide the tube into the kidney and down into the bladder. This is done under sedation by an interventional radiologist. It’s a less common way to do it and is sometimes the choice for an emergency situation such as a kidney abscess. 

I have had them done both ways. There is not much to choose between them. I didn’t have too much pain afterwards but I was very, very tired. I was advised to drink 2 litres of water every day - not just after the procedure but as a matter of course. This keeps the stent clear and reduces the risk of infection. It’s important. 

Stents need replacing, usually once a year although if it’s done by interventional radiology it needs changing after six months. My advice is to keep a note of when it needs replacing and chase this up about a month in advance if you hear nothing. 

Stents can cause pain, especially when they’ve been in longer term. It’s felt as a pain in the flank and while it can be an indication of infection, it can just be an unfortunate side effect. Paracetamol is the pain killer of choice for anyone with kidney issues but if your wife has pain, or pain and fever, take appropriate action by going to the GP or A&E as required. 

Several hospitals have published information leaflets on the internet so do have a search to see what you can find. I’m not a doctor, just a patient sharing my experience. I hope this helps. 

Hi Daloni,

Thanks very much for your reply this is very helpful and now gives us the knowledge to ask questions when the hospital phones.

My wife has had no symptoms or pain to suggest there was a problem so it came as a surprise, but I guess the blood tests and the CT have confirmed a problem is there and I suppose it's good that they are on top of things.

Thanks again for all the information

kind regards

Neal

Hi Neal 

you are welcome. I’d 100% agree it’s good the hospital is on top of things. Your wife seriously doesn’t want to be experiencing symptoms associated with hydronephrosis (water on the kidney). Take it from one who knows. 

I hope the procedure is entirely smooth and uneventful 

Ps here is the patient info leaflet from guys and st Thomas’s hospital. Google uteric stent placement and a whole bunch of them come up 

https://www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/resources/patient-information/urology/procedures/having-a-ureteric-stent-inserted.pdf

Sorry for the late reply daloni - this info is very useful thank you

We are still waiting for the procedure date - unfortunately since this came up we had a full report on my wifes CT scan from her consultant on the phone yesterday and it's not good news. It seems her chemotherapy has had no effect and the tumours are all in fact larger than last time. They are now going to stop chemotherapy so it's devastating news.

I think she will have the stent done and she had the blood and urine tests for this yesterday so hopefully we will now hear soon.

Thanks again for your help

Dear

I am really sorry to hear that. What a very difficult time for you both. Now is perhaps not the moment, but please know there are groups on this site for people living with incurable cancer as well as those caring for them. I’m more than happy to help you find them if you’re struggling with this clunky old site. It’s going to be vital you get some support yourself in the time to come. I’d like to type that last sentence in big capital letters but I’d only look crazy so I won’t. But seriously, if you haven’t already done it, please take some time to think about who supports you and how you’re going to care for yourself. 

With love to you both 

Dear daloni,

That's very kind of you. I have joined the carers section but today we are both just numb and can't believe how it has come to all this since just January. I think we need time to adjust and as difficult as it is accept this horrible situation we find ourselves.

It's been on my mind all day to try to obtain a second opinion - just to see if there are any possible avenues to explore - I'm probably clutching at straws but I feel I have to try something.

We knew from the first diagnosis that the cancer was stage IV and not operable but really did have faith that the chemo was going to control it's spread. The trouble now is with this coronavirus going on it's difficult to seek further treatment such as clinical trials and will probably be the same problem even trying to obtain a second opinion.

Many thanks again for your reply

best wishes Neal