Forgotten ureteric stents encrust, obstruct and cause sepsis, and removing them can need complex surgery. The failure is almost always administrative, not clinical.
Write the planned removal date in the discharge summary, give it to the patient in writing, and enter the stent into a tracking register at the time of insertion.
- Record stent type, side and planned removal date at insertion.
- Give the patient a written card with the date.
- Keep a departmental stent register reviewed weekly.
- Tell the patient to call if they have not heard by the date.
Why it matters
A forgotten stent turns a routine procedure into an avoidable, sometimes serious, complication.
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