Abstract
Ureteral catheters, commonly known as double j stents according to their specific shape, are largely used worldwide with good results to assure proper renal drainage and to overpass ureteral obstacles successfully. This study deals with the aging behavior of polyurethane-based urinary catheters, explanted at different time intervals: 22 days, 29 days, three months, and eight months respectively. TGA (Thermogravimetric analyses) tests showed significant differences in the thermal behavior of polyurethane-based material, especially at eight months, where a higher thermostability was noticed. Also, the DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry) curves presented different shapes for the samples of polyurethane-based urinary catheters after three months and eight months. FTIR (Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectrometry) spectra gave a detailed picture of the chemical trans-formation which has occurred within the material at eight months. All the analyses gave an overview of the aging process of polyurethane-based urinary catheters and showed insights into the chemical/ physical transformations that the polymeric material suffers from prolonged usage.
Highlights
Urinary drainage represents an essential step in emergency treatment, and disposable devices to assure this process are largely used worldwide by most practitioners
Our study aims to reveal the changes in the structural composition in time and thermal behavior of polyurethane-based urinary catheters and explain the differences
The polyurethane-based urinary catheters suffer in time of use different/various processes that may be physical and/or chemical
Summary
Urinary drainage represents an essential step in emergency treatment, and disposable devices to assure this process are largely used worldwide by most practitioners. A urinary obstacle can be overpassed depending on its origin, with minimum complications, by placing a urinary bladder catheter, a double J stent, or nephrostomy tube. Ureteral stents are routinely used with good results to overpass obstacles on the urinary tract and to assure proper renal drainage in order to avoid ureteral-hydronephrosis and its derived complications [1, 2]. Still searching the ideal device, yet not available, several materials were used to design ureteral stents to achieve better results according to the pathology. Some biodegradable stents were developed in order to improve medical treatment and patient's quality of life when dealing with a urologic procedure [4]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
