Does Length Matter? Impact of ureteric stent length on patient-reported stent symptoms – early findings from a prospective paired study at a single institution

Impact of fixed-length compared with multilength ureteric stents on patient-reported symptom burden following ureteroscopy for urinary stone disease: a prospective single-centre non-randomised comparative study.

Status

Terminated

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ANZCTR

Registry ID

ACTRN12626000851369

Enrollment

Registered

2026-07-13

Start date

2025-06-30

Completion date

2025-12-31

Last updated

2026-07-20

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

None listed

Brief summary

This study aims to determine whether using a fixed-length ureteric stent reduces discomfort and improves patients' recovery compared with the standard multilength stent after surgery for kidney stones.

Interventions

Allocation: Non-randomised Intervention administered by Urology Registrar/Consultant - all relevant proceduralists asked to place multilength stents at first encounter and fixed length at second encounter for the duration of the study (June 30-Dec 31, 2025) and this is confirmed on the operation report Duration of procedure: 15-30mins Frequency of procedure: 4-12 weeks apart Wash out period: 4-12 weeks (determined by waitlist time for second stage procedure - depends on allocation of date of surgery) Intervention assignment: Sequential - each patient will receive a total of two stents (multilength first, then fixed length second) Fixed length stent: 24cm for females, 26cm for males All stents will be soft polyurethrane stents The type of stent used is confirmed from operation reports (details of implant placed recorded) ie. audit of operation reports from Theatre Management System and medical records Masking: None Purpose: Treatment/device optimisation

Study design

Allocation

Non-randomised trial

Intervention model

Crossover

Primary purpose

Treatment

Masking

Open (masking not used)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Age

18 Years to No maximum

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Age greater than or equal to 18 years Undergoing ureteroscopy for urinary stone disease Postoperative ureteric stent inserted Able to provide informed consent Completed postoperative symptom questionnaire

Exclusion criteria

Age under 18 years Non-stone pathology Resonance or other non-standard ureteric stent Antegrade stent insertion Incorrect stent placement Failure to complete outcome assessment

Outcome results