Ureteral stent placement and removal
A ureteral stent is a soft, thin plastic tube placed inside the ureter, running from the kidney to the bladder, so urine can drain past a blockage or while the ureter heals. It is placed with a scope through the urethra and later removed by pulling a string or with a quick office scope.
Also called stent, ureteral stent, ureteric stent, double-J stent, JJ stent, pigtail stent, kidney stent, stent placement
- Where
- Operating room for placement; clinic or home for removal
- Anesthesia
- General anesthesia or deep sedation for placement; numbing gel or nothing for removal
- Time in the room
- 15 to 30 minutes to place; under 5 minutes to remove
- Hospital stay
- Usually same day; 1 to 3 days if you are being treated for a kidney infection
- Going home with
- The stent itself, for days to months depending on the reason
- Back to normal
- Most people work around the stent; it usually feels normal within 1 to 2 days of removal
- Back to work
- Usually 1 to 2 days after placement
Overview
A ureteral stent is a thin, flexible plastic tube, about 2 millimeters wide and 9 to 11 inches (22 to 28 centimeters) long, that sits completely inside your body. Its upper end curls in the kidney and its lower end curls in the bladder, which is why it is often called a double-J or pigtail stent. The curls hold it in place. Urine drains through and around it from the kidney to the bladder, bypassing a stone, a swollen spot or a narrowing in the ureter (the tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder).
Stents are used in two main ways. As an emergency, a stent drains a kidney that is blocked by a stone, especially when there is infection, until the stone can be treated. After stone surgery such as ureteroscopy, a stent keeps urine flowing for a few days to two weeks while the ureter's swelling settles. Stents are also used for longer periods when a tumor or scar narrows the ureter, and are then changed every few months.
Placement is done in the operating room with a scope passed through the urethra (the tube that carries urine out of the body) into the bladder. No cut is made. Removal is quicker: either you or a nurse pulls a thread left attached to the stent, or your urologist removes it in the office with a thin flexible scope, which takes about a minute.
Most people feel the stent. Common symptoms are frequent urges to urinate, burning, blood in the urine, and an ache in the side when urinating. These are expected, they can be eased with medicines, and they go away once the stent is out. The most important thing is to make sure every stent is removed or changed on time.
The parts of your body involved
Each kidney drains urine into a funnel called the renal pelvis, which narrows into the ureter. The ureter runs down the back of the belly to the bladder and enters it through a short tunnel in the bladder wall. That tunnel acts as a one-way valve, letting urine in but stopping it from flowing back up when the bladder squeezes. A stent passes through this valve and holds it open, so some urine flows back up toward the kidney when you urinate. The lower curl rests on the trigone, the very sensitive triangle at the base of the bladder that tells your brain you need to go. These two facts explain most stent symptoms.
- Kidney and renal pelvis
Where urine is made and collected. The stent's upper curl sits in the renal pelvis.
- Ureter
The muscular tube from kidney to bladder. The straight part of the stent lies inside it.
- Ureter opening and its valve
Where the ureter enters the bladder. The stent holds this valve open while it is in.
- Trigone
The sensitive area at the base of the bladder where the lower curl rests. Contact here causes urgency.
- Urethra
The tube from the bladder to the outside. A stent's removal string, if there is one, comes out through it.
Why it’s done
A stent is placed when urine cannot drain safely from the kidney, or when the ureter needs support to heal. It treats the blockage, not the cause, so most stents are a bridge to another treatment.
- A blocked, infected kidney
Fever with a blocked kidney is an emergency. Draining the kidney with a stent or a nephrostomy tube, plus antibiotics, is the first step. The stone is treated later, once the infection has cleared.
- Pain or kidney function at risk
A stone causing pain that cannot be controlled, a blockage in a single kidney, or a rise in kidney blood tests.
- After ureteroscopy
To keep urine flowing while swelling settles after the scope and laser, especially after a long procedure or a tight ureter.
- Preparing a tight ureter
If the ureter is too narrow for a scope, a stent left for 1 to 2 weeks gently widens it so a later procedure is easier.
- Narrowing from a tumor or scar
Cancers in the pelvis or belly, or scar tissue, can squeeze the ureter. A long-term stent keeps the kidney draining.
- Pregnancy, in selected cases
When a stone blocks the kidney in pregnancy, a stent or nephrostomy tube can protect the kidney until after delivery. It needs changing more often in pregnancy.
Other options
- Nephrostomy tube
A tube placed through the back directly into the kidney, draining into a bag outside the body. For an infected, blocked kidney it works as well as a stent. It is preferred when a stent cannot be passed or when you are too unwell for anesthesia.
- Treating the stone right away
When there is no infection, removing the stone with ureteroscopy may avoid a separate stent procedure. Many people still go home with a short-term stent afterward.
- No stent after uncomplicated ureteroscopy
After a short, uncomplicated ureteroscopy, guidelines allow skipping the stent in selected patients. This avoids stent symptoms but carries a small risk of pain from swelling that needs a return visit.
- Waiting for the stone to pass
If pain is controlled, the kidney works well and there is no infection, many smaller stones can be given 4 to 6 weeks to pass without a stent.
Getting ready
Tick items off as you go. Your checklist is saved on this device only.
If it is an emergency
If it is planned
The morning of placement
Before removal
In the operating room, step by step
Press play or pick a step. Each drawing shows what your surgeon is doing at that moment. Your team may do some steps differently.
1. Getting ready in the operating room
You lie on your back and are put to sleep or deeply sedated. Your legs are raised into padded stirrups. An X-ray machine called a C-arm is brought over your belly.
After the operation
Right afterward
- Same-day home for planned stents
Most people go home within 1 to 2 hours after a planned stent placement.
- A hospital stay for infection
If the stent was placed for an infected kidney, you usually stay 1 to 3 days for IV antibiotics and monitoring, and then continue antibiotic pills at home.
- Pink urine and urges
Blood in the urine, burning and frequent urges start right away. They are expected.
- Know your plan
Before you leave, know when the stent is due out or due to be changed, whether it has a string, and who will schedule the next step.
At home
- Easing stent symptoms
Tamsulosin, a pill that relaxes the ureter and bladder neck, reduces stent discomfort for many people. Bladder relaxers such as oxybutynin or solifenacin calm urgency. Anti-inflammatory pain pills help side pain if your kidneys allow them. Phenazopyridine eases burning for a day or two and turns urine orange.
- Blood in the urine
Pink urine comes and goes, often after activity. Drink more and it usually clears. Thick clots or trouble passing urine need a call.
- Drink steadily
Keep urine pale yellow, for most people about 2 to 3 liters of fluid a day, unless a doctor has limited your fluids.
- Activity
There are no strict limits. Running, heavy lifting and long car rides often make stent pain and bleeding worse, so let comfort guide you.
- Caring for a string
Keep the string taped with a little slack and wear snug underwear. If it comes off its tape, re-tape it without pulling. If the stent comes out early, call your team.
- Sex
Sex is safe while a stent is in. Tape a string out of the way. Some people find it uncomfortable until removal.
- Travel
Travel is fine. A stent does not set off airport security. Plan trips around your removal date.
- Never miss the removal date
Stents are not meant to stay in forever. A stent left too long can crust with stone, block, or break, and may then need surgery to remove. Put the date in your calendar and call if you have not heard from your team.
- After removal
Some people have a few hours of cramping side pain as the ureter adjusts. Drink, use your pain medicine, and rest. Urges and burning fade over a day or two.
- If the stent was for a stone
Prevention starts now: drink enough to make about 2.5 liters of urine a day, keep salt low, eat normal calcium from food, limit meat, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, and avoid sugary drinks.
Recovery timeline
- Day 0Stent placed
Home the same day for most planned stents, or a short hospital stay for infection.
- Days 1 to 3Getting used to it
Urges, burning and pink urine are strongest. Stent medicines and fluids help.
- Days 3 to 14Short-term stents come out
After ureteroscopy, a string stent is often pulled at 3 to 7 days, and others are removed in the office within about 2 weeks.
- Weeks 1 to 3Stone treatment after infection
If the stent was placed for an infected kidney, the stone is usually treated once antibiotics have cleared the infection, and the stent is removed or replaced then.
- Removal dayA minute or less
String or office scope. Some people cramp for a few hours afterward.
- 1 to 2 days after removalBack to normal
Urges and burning fade. Most people feel normal.
- Weeks 4 to 8Follow-up imaging
Many urologists order an ultrasound or CT to make sure the kidney drains well without the stent.
- Every 3 to 6 monthsLong-term stents are changed
If you need a stent for a narrowing or tumor, it is exchanged in a short procedure before it can crust over. Some special stents last longer.
What it feels like
A stent is a small device that many people feel all day. Knowing which feelings are normal, and that they end when the stent comes out, makes it easier to live with for a short time.
Arriving sick
If the stent is for an infected kidney, you may arrive with fever, chills, vomiting and severe pain, scared and exhausted.
What helpsAntibiotics and pain medicine start right away. Draining the kidney usually brings fast relief once the stent is in.
The first time you urinate
Burning at the tip of the urethra, pink urine, and a sudden ache in your side as you urinate. That ache is urine pushed back up the stent, and it fades within a minute or so.
What helpsDrink steadily so urine is dilute. Breathe out slowly and take your time.
Living with the stent
A constant feeling of needing to go, waking at night to urinate, a dull ache low in the belly or side, and blood that appears after activity. Many people feel worn down and irritable.
What helpsTake stent medicines on schedule. A heating pad helps. Cut back on caffeine and alcohol if they make urges worse. Remind yourself the stent is temporary.
The string
Self-consciousness about a thread coming out of your body, and worry about catching it on clothing or pulling it out by mistake.
What helpsTape it with a little slack and wear snug underwear. An early slip is not usually dangerous. Call your team if it happens.
Pulling a string stent
A long, slippery, odd sliding feeling, over in a few seconds. Many people are surprised by how long the stent is.
What helpsSit or stand comfortably, breathe out, and pull slowly and steadily. Stop and call if it will not come.
Office removal
Cold gel, a sting, and pressure as the scope passes, then a strange tug as the stent slides out. It is over in about a minute.
What helpsAsk to watch the screen if that helps you feel in control. Breathe slowly and let your pelvic muscles relax.
The hours after removal
Most people feel immediate relief. A few get a wave of cramping side pain a few hours later, which can feel like the original stone.
What helpsUse the pain medicine you were advised to take, drink, and rest. Call if it does not settle.
How well it works
Success means the kidney drains, infection and pain settle, and the stent comes out on time once its job is done.
- Kidney drainage
Pain and fever ease and kidney blood tests improve. Ultrasound shows the kidney swelling going down.
- The next treatment
For stones, the stent is usually a bridge to ureteroscopy or another stone treatment.
- Timely removal or exchange
The stent is removed as planned, or exchanged on schedule if it is needed long term.
- Drainage after removal
A follow-up scan may confirm that the kidney drains well on its own.
Risks
Every operation has risks. These are the ones people ask about most, with honest odds where good numbers exist. Your surgeon’s own results matter more than averages.
Common
Urges, frequent urination, burning, discomfort in the bladder, and side pain when urinating. They end when the stent is removed.
Comes and goes, often after activity.
A few hours of cramping side pain in some people.
Less common
Bacteria can collect on the stent. Fever needs a call the same day.
A stent can slip up into the ureter or down into the bladder or urethra, especially a string stent. It may need to be repositioned or replaced.
More likely when a tumor squeezes the ureter from outside. A nephrostomy tube may be needed instead.
If the wire cannot pass the blockage, a nephrostomy tube through the back is placed instead.
Rare
A stent left in for many months can become coated with stone, block, or break. Removal may then need ureteroscopy, PCNL or more.
A small tear usually heals over the stent itself.
Most often in people who arrive with an infected, blocked kidney. It needs IV antibiotics and sometimes intensive care.
Call your care team or go to the emergency room if
- Fever of 101°F (38.3°C) or higher, or shaking chills
- Pain in your side or belly that your prescribed medicines do not control
- You cannot urinate, or your bladder feels full and will not empty
- Thick clots or urine like ketchup that does not lighten after drinking more
- Vomiting that keeps you from holding down fluids or medicines
- The stent comes out before the planned date, or the string pulls partly out
- Your removal or exchange date has passed and nothing is scheduled
Questions to ask your surgeon
- Why do I need a stent, and what is it a bridge to?
- How long will the stent stay in?
- Will it have a string? Can I remove it myself at home?
- Who schedules the removal or the next procedure, and how will I be reminded?
- What medicines can I take for stent discomfort?
- Are there activities I should avoid while the stent is in?
- Is a nephrostomy tube a better choice for me?
- If this is a long-term stent, how often will it be changed?
- What should I take before removal to lower the chance of cramping?
- Will I need a scan after the stent comes out?
Words you may hear
- Ureteral stent
- A soft plastic tube that sits inside the ureter from kidney to bladder to keep urine draining.
- Double-J stent
- A stent with a curl at each end, shaped like the letter J, that holds it in place.
- Ureter
- The muscular tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder.
- Renal pelvis
- The funnel in the center of the kidney where urine collects before entering the ureter.
- Trigone
- A sensitive triangle at the base of the bladder between the two ureter openings and the bladder outlet.
- Cystoscope
- A thin telescope passed through the urethra to look inside the bladder.
- Guidewire
- A thin, slippery wire that guides the stent into place.
- Retrograde pyelogram
- An X-ray picture taken after dye is injected up the ureter from the bladder.
- Hydronephrosis
- Swelling of the kidney's drainage system from backed-up urine.
- Extraction string
- A thread tied to the end of a stent and left outside the body so the stent can be pulled out without a scope.
- Encrustation
- A crust of stone material that builds up on a stent left in too long.
- Stent exchange
- Replacing a long-term stent with a new one, usually every few months.
- Alpha blocker
- A medicine such as tamsulosin that relaxes smooth muscle and can ease stent symptoms.
Common questions
Can I pull my own stent out?
Only if it was placed with a string and your team told you to. Remove the tape, then pull slowly and steadily until the whole stent comes out. If you feel strong resistance, stop and call.
How long can a stent stay in?
Short-term stents after stone surgery usually stay days to two weeks. Standard stents are generally changed or removed within about 3 to 6 months. Some special stents are designed to last longer. Your urologist will tell you the limit for yours.
Why does my side hurt when I urinate?
The stent holds open the valve between the ureter and the bladder. When you urinate, some urine is pushed back up to the kidney and stretches it briefly. It is harmless and stops when the stent comes out.
Can I exercise or have sex with a stent?
Yes. Neither will harm the stent. Hard exercise often causes more blood and discomfort, and some people find sex uncomfortable, so let comfort guide you.
Can I have an MRI with a stent?
Most plastic stents are safe in MRI. Some long-term stents contain metal. Tell the MRI team you have a stent and what type it is.
Why not a tube in my back instead?
For a blocked, infected kidney, a stent and a nephrostomy tube work about equally well. A stent sits fully inside you with no bag. A nephrostomy is preferred when a stent cannot pass the blockage or when anesthesia is not safe.
What happens if I forget about my stent?
Over months, stone material can build up on it and it can block or break. Removal can then need one or more operations. That is why your team tracks stents and why you should call if a date passes.
Sources this page draws on
- American Urological Association and Endourological Society, Surgical Management of Stones: AUA/Endourological Society Guideline (2016)
- European Association of Urology, EAU Guidelines on Urolithiasis
- Journal of Urology, Indwelling ureteral stents: evaluation of symptoms, quality of life and utility (Ureteral Stent Symptom Questionnaire) (2003)
- Journal of Urology, Optimal method of urgent decompression of the collecting system for obstruction and infection due to ureteral calculi (1998)
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), Cystoscopy & Ureteroscopy
Written November 2026. This page explains what usually happens. It is not medical advice and does not replace a conversation with your own surgeon, whose plan for you comes first.