Retrograde ureteric stent exchange in the female oncology patient by interventional radiology: the experience of a single tertiary referral centre

Double-J stents are used to treat ureteric outflow obstruction. Deployed in antegrade or retrograde fashion, they relieve ureteric obstruction in several conditions including ureteric calculi, strictures and malignancy. Traditionally exchanged in an operating theatre (OT) under general anaesthetic (GA), more recently described is the technique of using fluoroscopic guidance under sedation. To assess the efficacy and safety of retrograde double-J stent exchange in an interventional radiology (IR) setting in a tertiary oncology referral centre over a 7-year period. Clinical data on 460 double-J stent exchanges in 126 female patients was acquired from the hospital electronic patient record. Four fellowship-trained interventional radiologists performed the procedures. A standard approach was used in conjunction with conscious sedation using midazolam and fentanyl. Use of the technique with certain anatomical variations is also described. Technical success rate was 96%. The main reasons for failure included failure to snare the stent (1.8%) and patient discomfort (1.1%). The overall complication rate was 5%: 5 category 1 (minor) and 18 category 3 outcomes, with the latter group requiring further intervention. Average screening time was 9.65 min and the average radiation dose was 2018.24 mGy/m2. We also demonstrate the successful use of this method in patients with unusual anatomy and ileal conduits. Fluoroscopic-guided retrograde double-J stent exchange is a safe and effective procedure that can be performed with a high degree of success using equipment and techniques used in daily IR practice. This approach precludes the need for GA, reduces OT utilisation and is well tolerated in a patient group for whom this procedure is typically palliative.