Office-Based Ureteral Stenting Using a Single-Use Flexible Cystoscope Under Local Anesthesia: A Two-Center Prospective Study on Feasibility and Patient Experience.

Abstract

Introduction: To evaluate the feasibility, safety, and patient satisfaction of Double-J (DJ) ureteral stenting using a flexible cystoscope under local anesthesia (LA). Materials and Methods: We analyzed prospectively collected data from all patients who underwent DJ stent insertion or replacement using flexible single-use cystoscope under LA between February 2022 and September 2024 at two tertiary referral centers. Failure was defined as the inability to effectively complete the scheduled stent insertion or replacement. Pain was assessed using the Visual Analog Scale, whereas overall patient satisfaction and willingness to undergo future ureteral stenting under LA were also recorded. Results: A total of 189 consecutive procedures were performed, including 131 (69.3%) unilateral and 31 (16.5%) bilateral DJ replacements and 22 (11.6%) unilateral and 5 (2.6%) bilateral DJ insertions. The median patient age was 76 years (interquartile range [IQR] 66-80), the median Charlson Comorbidity Index was 8 (IQR 6-12), and the median hospital stay was 0 days (0-0.25). Technical failure occurred in 13 cases (7.3%). Causes of failure were DJ encrustation, urethral stricture, or inability to identify the ureteral orifice (9 cases, 69.2%). These cases were effectively managed by percutaneous nephrostomy (PNS) or stent placement under sedation. Four (30.8%) procedures were interrupted because of pain felt by patients. Complications included one case of stent migration necessitating ureteroscopy, three cases necessitating PNS placement, and 10 grade 2 complications (5.6%). Overall, 170 patients (89.9%) expressed willingness to undergo the same procedure under LA in the future. Conclusion: These results demonstrate that DJ stenting using a flexible cystoscope under LA in an outpatient setting is a feasible, safe, and well-tolerated procedure. It offers a high success rate with a low incidence of minor complications.