Symptoms and discomforts associated with double J ureteral stents: a prospective observational study in the Palestinian healthcare practice

BackgroundThis study aimed to evaluate the symptoms and discomforts associated with double J ureteral stents in Palestinian urological practice. Another aim was to evaluate the correlations between patient-reported symptoms and discomforts related to ureteral double J stents, as well as their influence on patient-reported quality of life.MethodsThis was a prospective observational study at two major hospitals in the West Bank, Palestine. The patients were interviewed at 1 and 3 weeks post-insertion and post-removal of double J ureteral stents using a structured questionnaire. In addition to the sociodemographic and health variables of the patients, the questionnaire also screened for symptoms and discomforts associated with ureteral double J stents and their impact on patient-reported quality of life.ResultsThe final analysis included 200 patients who received double J ureteral stents in the Palestinian practice. Of the patients, 172 (86.0%) reported experiencing urinary symptoms, 145 (72.5%) experienced dysuria, 127 (63.5%) experienced frequency, 130 (65.0%) experienced urgency, 111 (55.5%) experienced hematuria, 81 (40.5%) experienced urinary retention, and 57 (28.5%) experienced incontinence. On the other hand, 84 (42.0%) patients reported experiencing low back pain, and 91 (45.5%) patients reported experiencing abdominal pain. Half of the patients (50%) reported using analgesics and 25 (12.5%) reported experiencing fever and seeking medical help. Of the patients, 69 (34.5%) reported experiencing limitations in doing usual daily activities and 68 (34.0%) reported experiencing limitations in the ability to walk. Of the 120 patients who had active sex life, 84 (70.0%) reported pain during sex. Older patients, females, who had higher body mass index, and those who had other comorbidities experienced higher symptoms and discomforts of double J ureteral stents compared to the other patients.ConclusionThe findings of this study showed that symptoms and discomforts of double J ureteral stents were prevalent in the Palestinian urology practice. The findings reported in this study are informative to urologists and other healthcare providers caring for patients with double J ureteral stents who might be interested in addressing these symptoms and discomforts and improving the quality of life of the affected patients.