Ureteral Stent Placement During Gynecological Interstitial Brachytherapy

Abstract

Purpose: We wanted to demonstrate the feasibility of ureteral stent placement during gynecologic interstitial template brachytherapy to improve dosimetry and avoid normal tissue injury. Interstitial brachytherapy has the potential to access sites of deep tissue invasion and encompass large tumor volumes, but there is also the potential to inadvertently injure normal pelvic structures. Intraoperative cystoscopy and contrast instillation into the bladder and rectum during computerized tomography (CT) simulation provide valuable information about the relationship of brachytherapy catheters to the bladder and rectum, but the course of the ureters is typically unknown.