What are the clinical symptoms after stone surgery with a double J tube left in place?

  Ureteral stent tubes (referred to as “double J tubes”) have become an indispensable part of urology and are widely used in clinical practice, including: 1, after open surgery, such as ureterotomy for stone extraction, pyeloplasty, ureteral bladder reimplantation; 2, benign or malignant obstruction leading to hydronephrosis; 3, ureteral injury; 4, ureteral acute attack of stone causing intractable renal colic; 5, post-pregnancy hydronephrosis, post-pregnancy renal colic; 6, post-luminal lithotripsy for stone extraction, etc.  The purpose of retaining ureteral stent tube is to keep the upper urinary tract drainage open, release obstruction, reduce low back pain, reduce infection, prevent ureteral stenosis, etc. Although the production process and material selection have been continuously improved, many patients in the clinic have experienced frequent urination, urgent urination, painful urination, increased nocturia, incomplete urination, hematuria, lateral abdominal and suprapubic discomfort, low back pain during urination, fever, acute pyelonephritis, etc. Displacement of stent tube, stent tube fracture, stent tube scaling, stone formation, etc. after long-term indwelling ureteral stent tube.  Bladder irritation signs: It has been reported that 78% of patients develop urinary tract irritation symptoms after placement of ureteral stent tube, including symptoms such as urinary frequency, urinary urgency, increased nocturia, incomplete urination, and urinary incontinence. It may be due to the irritation of the bladder triangle by the overly long and rigid double J tube in the bladder. Drink more water, usually no special treatment is needed, and the symptoms will disappear when the double J-tube is removed. If the symptoms are obvious, antispasmodic treatment can be given, and alpha-blockers (such as tamsulosin and doxazosin) can also be used to relieve the symptoms. Some patients have symptoms of urinary incontinence after placement of the double J-tube. Some of them have symptoms of urge incontinence caused by irritation of the bladder by the double J-tube, and some of them have urine leakage caused by the end of the double J-tube crossing the level of the urethral sphincter, which requires timely adjustment of the position of the double J-tube.  Back pain and discomfort during urination: About 30% of patients will experience back pain and discomfort during urination. After the stent tube is placed, the renal pelvis and bladder become one urodynamically, and the bladder pressure increases significantly during urination, which can cause urine reflux from the bladder to the kidneys, resulting in back pain and swelling. After the stent tube is left in place, avoid pressurized urination; you can also use alpha-blockers (such as tamsulosin, doxazosin, etc.) to make urination more fluid and reduce reflux; at the same time, eat more vegetables and fruits to keep the bowels open; remove the double J tube promptly after the treatment is finished.  Hematuria: mainly due to foreign body stimulation of ureter and bladder mucosa congestion and edema after the placement of double J-tube, and the stimulation of double J-tube during activity leads to the occurrence of hematuria. No special treatment is needed for mild carnal hematuria, encourage drinking more water and pay attention to rest. In case of severe hematuria, it is necessary to go to the hospital in time to administer fluids, anti-infection and hemostatic treatment, and if necessary, it is also necessary to remove the double J tube in advance.  Infection, scaling and stone formation: To prevent urinary tract infection, drink more water after surgery, 2000ml-3000ml of water per day to achieve self-cleaning of the urinary tract; regular X-ray review, timely tube replacement and extraction. It is usually considered appropriate to keep the tube in place for 2-4 weeks, usually no more than 3 months. If the condition requires long-term placement of a double J tube, it is necessary to use a double J tube that can be placed for a long time, and it needs to be reviewed and replaced regularly. After the patient is discharged from the hospital with a double J-tube, it is important to return to the hospital for examination and removal of the double J-tube on time as prescribed by the doctor to avoid serious complications. After surgery, ultrasound and x-ray urethrograms are routinely performed regularly to check for recurrence of stones. If there are symptoms of back pain and fever, promptly go to the hospital and perform anti-infection treatment.  Stent displacement; usually rarely occurs. Ureteral peristalsis is weakened or disappeared, while the bladder is stimulated by the double J tube to spasm and frequently contract to push up the double J tube to retract into the ureter; the curvature and elasticity of the catheter is less than ideal, the catheter quality is poor; the length of the double J tube is not selected properly; breathing and activity on the displacement of the stent tube may also be related. Do not perform sudden squatting movements and participate in heavy physical labor and strenuous exercise during the period of double J tube placement to prevent the double J tube from moving up and down or slipping out. When the double J-tube is found to be dislodged, promptly review the urogram to understand the exact position of the double J-tube, and remove it if treatment is completed, and replace the double J-tube if necessary.