Outcome assessment of double-J stents during extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy of small solitary renal calculi

The utility of indwelling double-J ureteral stents during extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (SWL) of renal calculi is ill defined. We evaluated 179 patients treated with SWL for small (< 20 mm in diameter) solitary renal calculi with (N = 27) or without (N = 152) indwelling ureteral stents. There was no significant difference in the stone-free rates at 1 month (both 52%) and 3 months (61% nonstented group v 67% stented group; P = 0.45) or in the retreatment rates (13.3% nonstented group v 14.8% stented group; P = 0.60). The incidence and severity of pain/renal colic were similar for the two treatment groups. There was minimal morbidity associated with SWL in either group. Placement of double-J stents for the purpose of improving stone-free rates, alleviating pain, or preventing ureteral obstruction in conjunction with SWL of solitary renal calculi < 20 mm in diameter is unnecessary.