Stent Symptom Coach
A ureteral stent keeps the tube between your kidney and bladder open while you heal. It can cause symptoms that feel alarming but are usually expected. This coach explains what is normal and the few signs that need a call.
What a ureteral stent is and why it's placed
A ureteral stent is a soft, hollow tube. It sits inside the ureter — the narrow tube that carries urine from a kidney down to the bladder. One curled end rests in the kidney and the other in the bladder, so it stays in place.
A stent holds the ureter open so urine can drain freely. Your care team may place one after a stone is treated, to let swelling settle, or to relieve a blockage. Stents are temporary — most come out within days to a few weeks.
Almost everyone feels a stent to some degree. The tips can rub the kidney and bladder, which is what causes most of the symptoms below. This is expected and eases once the stent is removed.
Symptoms you can expect (and why they happen)
These symptoms are common with a stent. They do not usually mean anything is wrong — they come from the stent itself and settle after it is removed.
- Needing to urinate often or urgently — the stent tip sits in the bladder and can make it feel full.
- Flank or kidney pain when you urinate — urinating can send a little urine back up the stent toward the kidney, causing a brief ache in your side or back. Try to relax and empty slowly.
- Blood in the urine that comes and goes — pink or light-red urine is common, especially after activity. It usually clears when you rest and drink fluids.
- Burning when you urinate — mild burning is common.
- Feeling the stent — a pressure or tugging low in the belly, groin, or at the tip of the penis, often worse with movement.
Symptoms are often strongest in the first day or two and after being active. They are usually more of a nuisance than a danger. See the warning signs below for the few symptoms that do need a call.
The stent string — do not pull it
Some stents have a thin string attached that comes out through the urethra and may be taped to your thigh or the tip of the penis. The string lets your care team remove the stent easily later, sometimes without a camera.
- Do not pull the string unless your care team told you to remove the stent yourself.
- Keep the string taped in place so it does not snag on clothing.
- Keep the area clean and dry. It is okay for the string to get wet in the shower.
- If the string comes loose or you think it was pulled, do not tug on it — call your care team.
Not all stents have a string. Depending on your stent, it will be removed either in the office with a small camera or by gently removing the string — sometimes at home. Always follow the specific instructions your care team gave you about if and when to remove it.
Activity, hydration, and comfort tips
- Drink enough to keep your urine light yellow through the day. It keeps urine flowing and lightens any blood.
- Stay lightly active — walking is fine. Hard exercise, heavy lifting, and lots of bouncing can bring on more blood and discomfort, so ease up if that happens.
- Empty your bladder before it feels very full and urinate slowly to lessen the flank ache.
- A warm pad on your side or lower belly can be soothing.
- Take pain medicine as directed by your care team. Staying ahead of constipation helps too.
Mark on your calendar when the stent is due to come out. A stent left in too long can cause problems, so keep your removal appointment.
Warning signs — call your care team
Call the office number on your discharge paperwork right away, or seek emergency care, if you have any of these:
- Fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, or shaking chills
- Pain you cannot control with your prescribed medicine
- Vomiting that will not stop or that keeps you from drinking fluids
- You cannot urinate at all
- Heavy bleeding, urine like tomato juice, or many clots
- The stent string comes out or the stent appears to have fallen out
If you have chest pain, trouble breathing, fainting, or another life-threatening emergency, call 911.
MyUrologyCare — Stent Symptom CoachRead or reprint this guide at: myurologycare.org/stent-coach.html
Educational only — not medical advice and not a substitute for your care team. Follow your own discharge instructions. Call the office number on your discharge paperwork with questions. For an emergency, call 911.