Risk of chronic kidney disease in patients with retained ureteral stents

Abstract

Objective: Numerous publications describe the management of stent encrustations, but few address long-term risks. The purpose of this study is to analyze the incidence of new chronic kidney disease attributed to retained ureteral stents in a large multi-institutional patient population. Materials and methods: A retrospective chart review of stone disease patients with ureteral stent placement was done in the nation-wide Cerner Health Facts database between 10 July 2009 and 7 June 2018. The estimated glomerular filtration rate was calculated using serum creatinine and the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Study equation. The study focused on patients with stent duration longer than 6 months and an estimated glomerular filtration rate above 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 before stent placement. Results: A total of 1234 stent placements were documented in the Cerner database, 108 patients had a normal estimated glomerular filtration rate prior to the retained stent. The median duration of retained stents was 12.1 months (range 6.1 to 77.7 months), and 33 (30.6%) patients developed new onset chronic kidney disease compared to 8.3% in patients with non-retained stents. Conclusion: A new onset of chronic kidney disease was observed in 30.6% of patients with retained ureteral stent, emphasizing the importance of patient counseling and preventive measures to ensure patient compliance and follow-up. Level of evidence: Not applicable in this multi-institutional cohort study.