We know that the prospect of needing to have a stent removed is a big source of anxiety for patients. While almost everyone can’t wait to have his or her stent out, not knowing what to expect during the removal procedure can be just as bad. To better prepare you for your procedure and perhaps relieve some of your concerns, we asked visitors to the website who have already gone through the process to share their experiences with you. The results of our stent removal survey follows. Thanks to everyone who replied and let us know what you think in the comments below.
How are people having their stents removed?
575 of you have responded to the survey over the last 3 months that it has been up. The most common method of stent removal was through the use of a flexible camera placed in the urethra (cystoscopy) in the doctor’s office, with almost half of respondents reporting this approach (45%). 17% instead had their stents removed using cystoscopy in the operating room. 12% removed their stents themselves by pulling on a stent string while the last remaining 26% had their stents removed by having their doctor’s office pull on the string. Our post on stent removal describes these techniques in more detail.
How much pain should I expect?
Out of a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the worst pain ever and 1 being no pain at all, the overall average amount of pain reported was 4.8 or a moderate amount of discomfort. However, it may surprise you to hear that the most common rating given was 1, or no pain at all, chosen by 18%. So while some patients do report a high amount of pain with their stent removal, many had no pain or only mild pain. If we look at pain by method of stent removal, average pain was relatively higher for those who had their stent removed by office cystoscopy (5.4 out of a scale of 1 to 10) followed by doctor’s office string removal (4.9), operating room cystoscopy (3.9), and self string removal which had the lowest reported amount of pain (3.8). However, these differences between method of removal are not dramatic given that the scale goes from 1 to 10.
Will I experience pain afterwards?
Most patients had no pain or only mild pain after their stent removal. Unfortunately, a third of patients (33%) did experience a severe attack of pain after their stent removal, including an unfortunate 9% who required a return trip to the emergency room for their pain. When comparing recurrent pain by method of stent removal, severe pain occurring after stent removal was more common in the self string removal group (43%) and less likely in the doctor’s office string removal group, office cystoscopy, and operating room cystoscopy groups (26%, 33%, and 33%, respectively). It’s not clear why those who pulled out their own stents were more likely to report a severe episode of pain afterwards. There is some evidence that taking a tablet of an NSAID medication (naproxen) before removing your stent can help reduce the chance of experiencing a severe episode of pain.
How did the experience compare to what you expected?
Overall, 35% felt the actual stent removal experience was not as bad or not nearly as bad as they expected. 27% reported that their experience was about what they expected. 15% felt it was a bit worse and 23% felt it was a much worse. Reporting the pain as much worse than expected occurred in 27% of those who underwent office cystoscopy, 24% of those who had their stents pulled out by the clinic, 20% of those who pulled out the stent themselves, and 15% of those who had a cystoscopy in the operating room.
If you had a choice, would you choose this option again?
Those who underwent operating room cystoscopy to remove their stents were most likely to choose the same technique again (65% replying probably or definitely would choose this method again) followed by self string removal (59%), doctor’s office string removal (55%), and office cystoscopy (50%).
While we asked respondents whether they would choose the same method for stent removal the next time, not all options for stent removal may always be available to you. For example, your doctor may choose not to use a string if he or she feels that your stent needs to remain in longer than a few days because the string can easily get snagged and the stent might accidentally be removed too early. Secondly, stent removal in the operating room is not always an option because: time in the operating room may not be available, the risk to you of undergoing anesthesia again may outweigh the benefit of having the procedure done in this fashion, the costs to you in terms of time and money involved in scheduling and preparing for an operating room procedure may not be worth it. We recommend that you talk to your doctor to go over the best option for stent removal in your particular case.
Priorities as a patient:
We asked respondents how much of a priority certain things were to them as a patient with a stent. Being informed why a stent was placed was the biggest priority for respondents (4.7 on an importance scale of 1-5). Being informed about what was actually involved in the stent removal procedure was also a high priority (4.5). Being able to have general anesthesia was a moderate priority (3.1) while being able to see a video/diagram of the process was a lower priority (2.9).
Okay, what’s the bottom line?
Most patients reported an average amount of discomfort with stent removal by any technique. Many patients actually reported no or minimal pain but about a third reported significant pain. Removal by office cystoscopy was associated with more pain on average and removing a stent yourself by pulling on the stent string was associated with less pain on average. A third of patients may experience a delayed attack of severe pain after their stent removal. Overall, about 62% reported that the experience was not as bad or about what they expected but 38% said it was a bit worse or much worse than they expected.
Editors note: Post updated on August 29th with additional survey results.
had a stone shattered in my left kidney five weeks ago , i asked the surgeon not to fit a stent as last time i had a stent fitted it went septic and i ended up on life support for a week , my surgeon said he did fit the stent to help me , even though i asked him not to , i was in recovery for five hours not the one and a half hours they had told my family,/ the catheter was removed and some of the pain went away , the following week i went back to have the stent removed , i had bled for a week and great pain, i am now stent free for some five weeks and still have great pain when urinating , and can no longer get excited with out great pain , if any one out there can give me any advise please do as my life is now on hold
I’m 21 and recently underwent Kinsey stone extraction surgery. They went through my urethral and into my ureters (tubes) to remove my kidney stone. They mentioned that my stone had caused so much swelling that they needed to put a stent it, and this all happened on aThursday. They proceeded to tell me I could pull the stent out myself the following Sunday but that if it starts to bother me I could pull it out earlier. Well I went all day Thursday and Friday with this stent inside of me and of course it caused major discomfit such as: burning while urinating, frequent urination and a strong odor of urine in my pad that I had to where in my panties because yea, it does make you dribble on yourself slightly ( or at least it did me.) Saturday morning I went to the local store to get a few items and could hardly walk more than 5 minutes without doubling over in pain from this stent. After I left the store, I stopped at a popular restaurant next door to eat lunch. And could only eat half of my food from being so nauseous due to the pain. After eating what I could, I started feeling this awful burning sensation in my urethra and decided “Ok, I cannot bare this pain any longer.” When I got home, I got in the shower and slowly but surely started pulling the stent out. It burned and was slightly uncomfortable but felt so much better once it was out…momentarily….Then out of no where I started to get this agonizing pain in my kidney that is twice as bad as the pain I had from trying to pass a kidney stone. My bladder then started having spasms. I have now been dealing with this kidney and bladder pain/spasms for two days now. I’m taking oxycodon-acetametaphin and Levsin(bladder spasm medication.) They are not helping and I am hardly urinating and am in sever pain. Please, what do I do??
I was diagnosed with a kidney stone on October 13 (5mm) but after not passing it on my own a week later a stent was placed in my right kidney. As of today, because it’s so difficult to get a referral to a urologist the stent is still in my right kidney and I was just in the ER because I now have a 5mm stone on the left side. I’m hoping to be able to pass it without needing another stent because I’ve been miserable with this stent and from what I’m hearing the removal process doesn’t sound great.
Had stent removed yesterday (had it in for 6 days after ureteroscopy). Having it removed in office wasn’t that bad. The scope to go get it hurt some but after all the pain from the initial procedure and stent it wasn’t a big deal. But I’m still having flank, lower back and upper front pain. The burning when I urinate is much less but I am wondering how long this pain will last. Also keep having waves of nausea (had this all thru the time the stent was in too) does anybody else have nausea? My urologist said the pain would stop yesterday but that just hasn’t been the case.
I’m worried sick I have to have my stent removed on Monday 9/11/2015 been told I have to hang around for an hour just in case my kidney blocks again. I’ve been told I have to have dye injected so thy can check the kidney function then they will decide whether I need the kidney removed or not
Okay, as I reported about a half hour after I removed the stent ( my wife did it) while standing in the shower with water running after ‘icing’ the area and numbing it – was an absolute breeze. I was very excited that it was out after 5 days – woo-hoo!. S after I wrote the post. Maybe an hour and a half afterwords, the dreaded almost exact feeling took over….like a knife was plunged into my left kidney and maybe just a thin spike in the bladder. Luckily I had some oxycodone 10 mg which was for another issue…the doctor had given me 5mg Hydrocodone which after 5 days was gone by day 2. The pain was just as bad as when I was in the ER and the CT found my 8mm little buddy. The painkillers seemingly did nothing so can’t imagine how bad it would have been without…I took a Flomax and within 2.5 hours, the pain went away…went to bed at 1:30am. At 6:30am, I urinated probably more than I had in the last week…felt fine. 20 minutes later, here it comes again…called the doctor at about 8:00am, spoke to the nurse who said he’d call me back. An hour and a half later, no doctors call so my wife took me to the ER…the pain level started coming down so we sat in the ER parking lot amd waited for the doctors call…no call. Came home as the pain subsided. Still waiting to speak to the doctor…after reading these posts ( which is a life saver as without it one would think there is something terribly wrong)..,,I get the feeling that this is going to happen for a while.
I had my first stent removed under anesthesia after watching a YouTube video of a grown man screaming. Yes, it only lasted for a minute, but I just couldn’t. And I’ve met my deductible and so, viewed it as a “gift” to myself. When I woke up, I was so nauseous. I’ve never had any problems with anesthesia before. And the pain!!! Oh my!!! Unfortunately, the Tylenol with codeine is a sugar pill for me. So, I suffered in agony til my mom got me home and I could pop some good ol’ ibuprofen. I guess it was the colicky pain of the ureter being swollen. I drank lots of water and in about 2 days, the pain eased. I wished the medical professionals would tell us in detail what to expect beforehand. I need to have my second stent out real soon. I know that it’s not good to go under anesthesia so much (I have colonoscopy in less than 10 days and a larger surgery in a month), but I’m spoiled and I don’t want to suffer in the doc’s office even though it’s much quicker. C’est la vie…
i had kidney stones removed on a Monday, they left the stent for me to remove myself with a string. I recall the doctor telling me I could remove it Friday, but my girlfriend said while I was awaking from the surgery that the doctor said ok to Friday, but suggested Monday. (It is Friday night right now)
Having this stent in has been miserable, blood in my urine, burning sensation and feeling like I need to pee non stop. I am going to pull it out tomorrow (Saturday). After reading everyone’s posts, it appears that my uncomfortable I symptoms I described above will continue or worsen after stent removal? Any comments for how long (hours, days) I might experience difficulties AFTER removal? I have saved up about 12 of the 20 pain pills I was prescribed. Should I take like one or two pain pills prior to pulling the string, saving several for the hours after?
I am just seeking advice on what to expect? How I should best manage my limited pain medication? Wondering why some on these posts have had their stints in for 3 weeks? Vs my 6 days?
I am a 56 year old male with an enlarged prostate, had 6 stones between 5-8 cm removed. I have passed another 4-6 smaller stones since my procedure. I feel like I have already given birth to a cactus.. Hoping the rest of this weekend & beyond is not like having a family of cactuses!
I hope to provide an update after the fact for those that are in a similar state of anxiety.. Reading these posts has been helpful!
Yes… Keep those pain meds around. Take 1-2 about an hour before you pull it out. Drink lots of water and rest. Then you can gauge how much pain will still be to come. Keep meds on board & on a schedule. Sometimes once it starts wearing off, it’s that much harder to find relief again. K
Had my stent removed today, their was was very less pain when they were removing it, i was given some antibiotics for 5 days and i can still feel some pain while urinating and gets the feeling of going to pee very often mayb will last for few days, and to prevent the formation of stone later on ,i have been given a syrup called citrate,adviced to take within 15 days or once in a month.
Hey im still recovering over 3 stone the biggest 8mm, 7mm, 4mm. Had a stent in place for almost 9 weeks. Had two shockwave treatment an feel I’ve passes my stone. So I went back to work where im none stop walking. Now my problem is the stent it’s so painful an i non stop of blood in my iurine. I also run out of meds so I went to boots an got some codeine what is working pretty well. Now I can’t wait for this stent to be remove!!!
Today, I had my stent removed! Oh wow, I didn’t care about any pain…i can walk again without gritting my teeth due to the stent hurting with each step. Yes, it did hurt but it was due to a small stone that had caught on the stent. As they pulled it out, I felt like some one had scraped a nail along my tubes. But…i still didn’t are ?. As I got up to get dressed, I felt a burning sensation but I was laughing and had a little wiggle…i was free of the dreaded stent!
Just had stent removed today a little uncomfortable but nothing to worry about
I still have pain even after stent removal..its more than the pain I experienced when stent was there in the body..my stent was removed bit early in a month..is it due to that? ..pls reply
And there’s swelling also…is it normal after stent removal..
And btw you probably have passed most of it. That stent is also used to help pass the broken up pieces.
Had 2 stents removed a week ago was in some pain through the procedure but after woulds was sent home after 3 days of havein it dun I was in agony with my right kidney went to the docs and he said it was the after pains from the stent removal just took paracetamol and rest still get sum tummy cramping but put that down to having the procedure but overall just glad there out and now I can start to live a normal life without eny stones or stents in me overall end result was really good and now I have no more worrie over me
I had my stent removed today. The removal part was not painful and was done with slight discomfort. Now back home..i am afraid to even go to the loo…it hurts so badly n leaves me shaky and teary eyed whenever i urinate. The pain however subsides after that. Hope it does not continue for days
Had stent out today. Stent was put in due to kidney stone. Removal was painful but not really bad. Home now and constant need to pee and spasm pain. Been told will last a few days. Taking naproxen and co-codamol. Some pain has subsided with these. Got oramorph as back up. Fingers crossed.
Had my stent removed on Wed 9 days post-ureteroscopy to remove a 5mm stone. The stent removal procedure itself was extremely quick and didn’t hurt at all. I was given a pain med and sent home feeling great. Within about an hour, I felt a dull pressure in my kidney, and, at about 4 hours, I felt pain in the kidney that was enough to take a Vicodin pill left over from the surgery. There was also burning when I went to the bathroom and overall discomfort in the urethra, probably caused by the scope used to extract the stent. After I took the Vicodin I felt a whole lot better, and by morning I was totally fine. No kidney pain, no burning, nothing. Overall, the experience really wasn’t that bad.
Had a stent removed yesterday. Water kept pouring out of me for over 12 hours. Wadn”t told to expect that or any other side effects.
So I’m kinda worried, have had a stent in for three days now w discomfort and have an appointment to remove the thing in the morning. In 6 days I’ve exhausted my pain meds and need to know if there’s anything I can take over the counter to help the pain of removal. I’ve been fitted w the string type of stent and have snagged it a time or two and almost passed out from the pain. Any advice?? Thanks…
Had stent removal 3 days ago on right kidney was the worst pain I every felt thought I would pass out it wasn’t the stent it was when they put the scope in. Now the left kidney hurts afraid to go in for fear that I might have to have another stone and they might put another stent in.
Just had Stent removed. In severe pain. Help
I had my stent removed yesterday afternoon in more pain now than before blatter spasm is worse now than before pain meds taken no relief so sick from the pain.
I wonder does an alpha blocker (Flomax) prevent or limit delayed pain after stent removal?
Ive had my stent in for a week. I had an 11 mm stone they busted up. I havent passed any of it. I get severe shakes amd cant breath. I hate this
I just had 2 different treatments in 2 weeks to bust up a 12 mm stone. I feel your pain friend. Try resting as much as possible. When you lay down you’ll feel so much less of pain. When you pee, sit down and try leaning as far as you can on the opposite side of where the stent is. I found that to help with the sharp pain you get in the kidney while urinating. Hang in there… It will be over sooner than you know.