Is It Necessary to Place a Double J Catheter After Laparoscopic Ureterolithotomy? A Four-Year Experience

PURPOSE: To assess the necessity of placing a ureteral stent after transperitoneal laparoscopic ureterolithotomy (TPLU). PATIENTS AND METHODS: In the period from May 2006 to November 2010, 46 patients underwent TPLU. There were 13 females and 33 males. All patients had an impacted stone larger than 1.5 cm in the upper and middle parts of the ureter. TPLU was performed as either a primary therapy or as a salvage therapy in patients in whom another treatment had failed. The exclusion criteria were pregnancy, a body mass index more than 35, and patients with abnormal results on coagulative tests. In all cases, after removing the stone, the ureter was sutured. In the first 23 patients, no ureteral catheter was placed, but in the second 23 patients, a Double J catheter was inserted through the ureter. RESULTS: In one case, the stone was pushed back. The stone-free rate was 97.8%. There were four cases of prolonged urinary leakage after the surgery. All of them were in the group in whose members the Double J catheter had not been placed. The problem was resolved in one patient spontaneously after 4 days, but for the other three patients, a Double J catheter was placed and the leakage was stopped in 24 hours. There was no case of urinary leakage in the second group of patients with a placed Double J catheter. CONCLUSION: Placing a Double J catheter during surgery does not increase the time of operation and may play a role in prevention of urinary extravasation after laparoscopic ureterolithotomy.