Stent Removal

[Romona]

I just want to say that my stents (yes, I had two) were removed painlesslyand quickly. My urologist credits all the video games he played in the 80's prepped him for his line of work.

[charee]

I had mine out today very quick just abit uncomfortable

[kellyt]

I go Monday a.m. to have mine removed.   Mine is giving me trouble and making me feel like I have to pee most of the time - especially when I'm up and moving around a lot.  I can't wait to get it out.

[charee]

I have had that feeling too didn't know it was to do with the stent, but it does feel abit better now  i just put it down to my bladder not being used for awhile, still peeing often , have  to map out toilet stops when i go for my walks , but thats a good thing

[kellyt]

At first I thought I was getting a bladder infection, so I went to my clinic and they a urinalysis.  They said all is good - just a little blood.  Doctor says it's more than likely the stent.  I actually saw some blood on Friday after walking on the treadmill.

That's funny about having to map out bathrooms!    You know, I never stopped peeing (then again, I was never on dialysis).  But what I mean to say is that I always had a good urinary out-put, even though the quality of the urine was not good.   But everytime I go pee I say a big "Thank you" to God.  I don't ever want to have to go through that.

I'm so glad you're doing well, Charee!

[Chris]

Now that I think about it, I had that feeling to and shortly after the stent was removed. They gave me some sort of med to help feeing. I am also told that my bladder has thickened (I think, have to read doctor notes again) due to not being used very much during dialysis.

[MomoMcSleepy]

 

I never had a stent at all for my first transplant.  Wonder what will happen this time?  I'll ask before I go in.

Terrific account Anna. Thanks so much.

I am so glad you and p said these things!  I had mine removed after two weeks because of my infection, and have been worried about it.  My native kidney failed because of stenosis in ureter from a surgery, soon a little extra sensitive.  Kobie this was old, but grateful for OP and all other posts!

[jeannea]

I don't remember getting any local before my stent removal. I did have a nurse reminding me to breathe. I had it done after my first transplant years ago so I was prepared. Main difference was the first time was in the urologist's office and this time they made me go to outpatient surgery. They said it was a change in regulations. But I guess being a woman makes it easier. I found it better than the time they took a sample of my uterus.

[SooMK]

My stent removal is coming up next week. So glad to read this thread, it's reassuring. Even though they tell you about all the side effects of the immunosuppressants no one bothered to tell me what side effects the stent might have. Some of these oldie threads are still goodies!

[Deanne]

The second attempt to remove mine is on May 7. At the first attempt, the told me the dissolvable stitch they put in to hold it in place hadn't dissolved. I'm not looking forward to going through it again, but I can't wait for it to be gone. I have the same affects as others posted: the constant feeling like I need to pee and blood in my urine. If I walk very much my pee looks more like pure blood, including clots, than urine.

[MommyChick]

I wish I would have read this thread back when I was dealing with my stent removal. It was very traumatizing for me, not to mention my UTI's from it.
Needless to say the 5th time was the charm in removal, although after the 2nd time I refused them from touching me unless I was knocked out. haha

[MooseMom]

The second attempt to remove mine is on May 7. At the first attempt, the told me the dissolvable stitch they put in to hold it in place hadn't dissolved. I'm not looking forward to going through it again, but I can't wait for it to be gone. I have the same affects as others posted: the constant feeling like I need to pee and blood in my urine. If I walk very much my pee looks more like pure blood, including clots, than urine.

Oh no!  Are you still experiencing this bleeding?  I had hoped that maybe it had subsided by now.

MommyChick, what happened during your stent removal?  Sounds like it is a very unpleasant story.

SooMK, the doctor that did mine explained that she would be guided by a tiny camera situated at the end of a very thin optic cable and would I like to watch the procedure on the screen located above my head?  I was curious, so I said, "Sure!  Why not!", and by the time I turned my head and could actually interpret what I was looking at, the stent was out, and I had missed the whole show!  I didn't feel a thing.  I wish Deanne and MommyChick had had the same positive experience.

[MommyChick]

Well yes it was very unpleasant and after all was said and done they told me they had never in there lives seen anything like this happen. I do seem to be unique when it comes to the medical things though.

My first attempt.. my urologist made it seem like it would be as simple as 1, 2, 3 needless to say it wasn't that easy with me! The first time they came into my hospital room and was told they could remove it right then and there. I was all for it, not to worried either at the time! So they tired to remove it in my room and all i felt was pain while he were tugging. It became dislodged and made it even more uncomfortable for me to walk/pee.  That day I was told they couldn't remove it and I went for additional tests to see about my stent.

Second attempt... They waited about a week later I was still in the hospital to try and remove the stent. This time they told me it had looked some what calcified from my high CA levels but they said it should be able to come out since it was a week later... not really sure why but I went with it. Still was stuck !!
More tests were done.. it showed that the coil came undone inside me & had made a knot, becoming stuck inside me!

Third attempt... They put me under in the OR. Thinking with me under they could some how undo the knot and pull the stent out, it was unsuccessful!!! I was very disappointed when I awoke from the anesthesia!

Fourth attempt... I was told the only way to remove the stent was by placing a drain directly into my kidney since I was having trouble peeing by this time and getting UTI's. It wasn't my first choice seeing it was a great new working kidney! It was done though and they were able to pull the stent out through my kidney through my drain. Once they did that then they realized from all the tugging it wasn't healed and they had to replace it with a 2nd stent after I went through all this to remove the first one! I had it for about 2 more weeks while being home and having a folie catheter placed as well. It wasnt fun !!!

Fifth attempt... I was taking to the OR, put under again and luckily they removed my fifth with no problems!!! 

So yeah ONLY I would end up getting a knot in the coil of the stent that attached itself to my body, haha But my doctors were great through this all !!
Nothing medical is ever simple with me, haha everything turned out good and now I can laugh about it 

[SooMK]

I'm hoping for a MooseMom experience and not a MommyChick experience. And I think I may not want to read any more stent posts until mine is out.

[jeannea]

To all the awful experiences: Holy Crap! Makes me cringe.

To anyone else, I had two transplants. Each time, the stent removal was uneventful although uncomfortable. I believe for most people there is no problem.

[Deanne]

The second attempt to remove mine is on May 7. At the first attempt, the told me the dissolvable stitch they put in to hold it in place hadn't dissolved. I'm not looking forward to going through it again, but I can't wait for it to be gone. I have the same affects as others posted: the constant feeling like I need to pee and blood in my urine. If I walk very much my pee looks more like pure blood, including clots, than urine.

Oh no!  Are you still experiencing this bleeding?  I had hoped that maybe it had subsided by now.

Yes. I went for a four-mile walk on Sunday and had extensive blood and clots in my urine afterward. My urine still showed blood and protein in my labs on Monday. I need to take oxycodone if I want to go for a long walks or be out of the house for very long at a time. Otherwise, it's just too uncomfortable because I can't tell if I really need to pee or if I'm having a bladder spasm from the stent.

They changed the urologist who's going to try to remove it in a couple of weeks. My nurse said the one they changed it to is better able to handle stents that present a challenge. I'm thankful I haven't had MommyChick's experience! I'll remember that when I whine about how uncomfortable it is.

[MommyChick]

I'm hoping for a MooseMom experience and not a MommyChick experience. And I think I may not want to read any more stent posts until mine is out.

You should be perfectly fine! Plus my doctors had never seen that happen before so it had to have been a freak occurrence.  I pray all goes easy for you!
 

[MommyChick]

Yes. I went for a four-mile walk on Sunday and had extensive blood and clots in my urine afterward. My urine still showed blood and protein in my labs on Monday. I need to take oxycodone if I want to go for a long walks or be out of the house for very long at a time. Otherwise, it's just too uncomfortable because I can't tell if I really need to pee or if I'm having a bladder spasm from the stent.
[/quote]

I was told bladder spasms get more so worse when your dehydrated.  I did use oxycodone for mine too but they would get so bad I would have to cross my legs and my hubby said it looked like I was doing a pee pee dance. The most embarrassing was when it happened in public, all I could do was laugh about it  Although I'd prefer to never go through those again, haha

Wishing you the best of luck!   

[SooMK]

I'm happy to report my stent removal was uneventful. I'm so glad I read the excellent play-by-play since mine followed the same pattern. And reading Moose Mom's experience inspired me to have my eyes glued to the screen which was wonderfully distracting. It was over quickly and uncomfortable rather than painful. I felt so much better afterwards. The doctor announced "it's a boy" when he removed the stent. LOL

[MooseMom]

Outstanding!  I'm so glad to hear this, SooMK!  Thanks for the good report!

[Charlie B53]

I'm numb, just the thought of having a cath inserted makes me cringe, so the idea of holding still and letting a Dr poke anything up there sends shivers up my spine.

When I first saw the title I was shocked, the only experience I have with stents are the ones they inserted to hold some of my arteries open.  So naturally I thought that for some reason they needed to take one out.  Un-imaginable!

So I have to thank the OP for the well spelled out proceedure.  It seems like an almost everyday thing.

But since I am a GUY, I don't think so.

I've had my heart replumbed, both shoulders taken apart and the bone trimmed clean.  So far I have never had a cath, or anything else shoved up in there.  It least not while I was conscious.  And If I did, it was gone when I woke up.

So as a guy with a paranoia of Dr's messing with my junk, I'm scared, and I'll stay scared, and if it come MY turn, you bet I will insist that they knock me smooth OUT!

Go ahead, call me a wuss, it won't make me change my mind.


I've always said, ladies are the tougher of the species.  This is just another one of those things that proves it.

[jeannea]

I have to say stent removal is a piece of cake compared to getting a NG tube (naso-gastric) inserted while awake.