The difficult ureter: what is the incidence of pre-stenting?

Abstract

The incidence of ureteric pre-stenting in a tertiary referral unit was 8% and should be considered and indeed discussed with patients when obtaining pre-operative consent, especially for purely elective, non-urgent, upper tract cases. The alternative for these difficult, tight ureters is extensive balloon dilatation, with the risk of trauma and the potential for long-term stricture formation.