JJ stent

[Doroth]

i was discharged from hospital Friday 27 May after being told by consultant I have JJ stent inserted. Haven’t been told when I have to have this removed! Do I contact my GP on Monday 30 May to enquire about this - have discharge letter to give to him from the hospital. In a lot of discomfort and constipated though am taking granules to dissolve in water. Taking co-codamol and paracetamol. Any advice please

Contact the surgeon (via their secretary) to find out. Your GP probably won’t have even seen the discharge summary yet.

JJ stent sits in the kidney and then comes all the way down the ureter and sits in the bladder. usually put in for a blocked ureter either due to a stone or another reason for the blockage. Is about 20 cm long.
stent rubs on the bladder wall and causes irritation, making people want to go to the toilet frequently and causing blood in the urine. Blood comes and goes while the stent is in place.
Other things that will irritate the bladder are tea, coffee, alcohol, juice and fizzy drinks. Best to stick to drinking water while the stent is in.
Irritation does settle after a few days generally, as you body heat softens the plastic in the stent and it settles in.
Stent generally stays in a week or two if placed for stones, can stay up to a year for other blockages.
If the stent has a string on it, it can be removed by GP, if no string, then the surgeon needs to remove it.
Notify doctor of signs of fever, smelly urine, passing large clots.
Good luck

Thank you for your advice