Purpose: Most studies have reported the effects of short-term double-J ureteral stenting on patient symptoms. We reviewed the changes in symptoms and the factors associated with tolerance due to long-term stenting.
Materials and methods: We investigated 20 patients (mean age±SD, 58.3±11.8 years). The patients consisted of those with cervical cancer (n=12), retroperitoneal fibrosis (n=5), colon cancer (n=1), rectal cancer (n=1), and endometrial cancer (n=1). A questionnaire that included domains for urinary symptoms and quality of life (QoL) scores for evaluation of urinary symptoms (International Prostate Symptom Score, or IPSS), a 10-cm linear visual analogue scale (VAS) score rated from 0 (no pain) to 10 (unendurable pain) for tolerance, and uroflowmetry were performed at every replacement.
Results: Frequency and urgency on the storage symptom score, residual urine sensations, and intermittency on the voiding symptom score were significantly aggravated at the initial stenting (p<0.05), but the sum of the storage symptom score and urgency improved with time (p<0.05). The quality of life score and total IPSS score also changed significantly (p<0.05). However, although the QoL score and the total IPSS score after stenting were not decreased to less than before stenting, the QoL score was significantly decreased at 9 months (p<0.05), and the total IPSS score was significantly decreased at 12 months (p<0.05).
Conclusions: The symptoms were acutely aggravated at first, but the results showed increased tolerance with time. Adaptation of the bladder and desensitization of the patients may be important factors in the increased tolerance.
Keywords: Quality of life; Stent; Symptom; Tolerance.