Biodegradable Ureteral Stents

Ureteral stents have been associated with painful symptoms and require a secondary procedure for removal if the suture tether is removed. Biodegradable stents have been attempted in the past, but are no longer used since they resulted in histological inflammation or unpredictable variability in degradation time. This article reviews past degradable materials used in both the prostatic urethra and ureter as well as identifies a new degradable ureteral stent that lasts between 2 to 4 weeks in a porcine model.