Experience with indwelling "J.J" ureteral stents.

J.J stents provide free drainage from the kidney to the bladder, reduce or eliminate urine leakage and provide stenting of the ureter. They were used in a total of 200 cases. In 158 to prevent ureteric obstruction before extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL), in 25 to bypass obstruction and in 12 as an adjunct to complicated upper urinary tract surgery. Majority (97%) of the stents were placed endoscopically under local anaesthesia (71.5%). In all the cases stents were successful to provide free drainage. No mortality was attributable to the use of stents but certain complications were encountered. Encrustation of the stents occurred in 21 (10.5%) and migration in 11 (5.5%) cases. Stents were removed easily under local anaesthesia by cystoscope. "J" stents thus provide an effective means to reduce complications and enhance effectiveness specially of ESWL therapy.