Double-J stent: care, symptoms and removal

General and important instructions before surgery

Before surgery:

- When you are admitted to hospital, bring all the tests done for the surgery.
- You must fast for at least 8 hours before surgery, including water.
- Allergies to medications, latex, foods and other substances must be reported to the medical and nursing team on admission.
- Antihypertensive medications (blood pressure pills) should be taken even on the day of surgery, with the smallest amount of water needed to swallow them.

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- Some medications must be stopped before surgery:
- Oral hypoglycemic agents (diabetes pills) should be stopped the day before surgery.

- Antiplatelet agents such as acetylsalicylic acid (AAS®, Somalgin®, etc.) and clopidogrel (Plavix®, etc.) should be stopped at least 7 days before surgery if the patient takes only one of these medications. If both are used, they should be stopped 10 days before the surgical procedure.

- Patients taking anticoagulants such as warfarin (Marevan®) or rivaroxaban (Xarelto®) must stop the medication 5 and 3 days beforehand, respectively. During this period, some patients will need to use enoxaparin sodium or unfractionated heparin until the day before surgery.

After surgery:

- After returning from surgery to the room, once the patient is fully awake, he or she may eat the diet prescribed by the medical team, according to tolerance. At this point, it is possible to get out of bed and walk around the room with the help of a family member or a member of the nursing team.

- Usually, after placement of a double-J stent there is no need for a urinary catheter, although in certain situations this device may be necessary.
- The hospital stay is usually 1 day.

After hospital discharge:

- Symptoms such as dysuria (burning or pain when urinating) and urgency (a strong need to urinate) are common in the first days after double-J stent placement and tend to decrease gradually.
- Small amounts of blood in the urine may occur in the first days.

Diet:

- There are no specific dietary restrictions; the patient should eat a healthy diet.
- Fluids (water, tea and natural juices) can be consumed freely.

Physical activity:

- In the first week after surgery, the patient should take relative rest, avoiding strenuous work, carrying weights and any kind of intense physical exercise. During this period, however, it is important for the patient to move around carefully, and careful daily walks are allowed.
- After 1 week, the patient may do gentle activities such as somewhat longer walks. Work that does not require physical effort may be resumed if the patient wishes.
- Patients are usually cleared to drive after 7 days.
- After discharge, the patient may go up and down stairs carefully.

Medications:

- At discharge, you will receive instructions on the medications to take at home. In general, painkillers are prescribed for mild pain. Antibiotics are used only prophylactically before surgery and are not prescribed for home use except in selected cases the medical team deems necessary.

Important:

In case of severe pain that does not improve with the prescribed painkillers, significant bleeding in the urine, fever, shortness of breath associated with pain when breathing, malaise associated with a drop in blood pressure, or any other complication or concern, go directly to the emergency department of the hospital where you had your surgery.

Note:

This information is intended as general guidance for patients. It does not replace the in-person guidance given by your attending physician, which must be individualized according to the characteristics of the patient, the disease and the planned operation.