Indwelling stents cause obstruction and induce ureteral injury and fibrosis in a porcine model.
Kymora B ScotlandKhaled AlmutairiElliya ParkLu WangSonia H Y KungAnne HaegertHans AdomatRobert BellStephane LeBihanBen Hall ChewDirk LangePublished in: BJU international (2022)
Ureters respond to stents similarly to how they respond to an obstruction, that is, with activation of pathways associated with hydronephrosis, fibrosis and kidney injury. This is driven by significant dilatation and associated ureteric SM dysfunction. EPO and tamsulosin induced mild favourable changes in SM physiology, suggesting that targeting specific pathways has potential to address stent-induced complications.