Use of ureteral stents in the management of major renal trauma with urinary extravasation: is there a role?

Five patients with major (Grade IV) renal trauma required ureteral stent placement to facilitate urinary drainage. Three of these patients had stents placed for recurrent gross hematuria with flank pain. All three had obstructing blood clots present at the time of stent placement. The fourth patient had a stent placed because of persistent extravasation at 2 weeks postinjury. The last patient was considered at risk for persistent urinary extravasation because of a partial ureteropelvic junction obstruction and had a ureteral stent placed as part of the initial management. All patients were followed radiographically for resolution of extravasation. Long-term clinical follow-up consisted of serum creatinine evaluation and blood pressure monitoring. Urinary extravasation resolved in all five patients, as determined by radiologic evaluation, at a mean of 8 days after stent placement. Ureteral stents were left indwelling an average of 4 weeks. No patient developed hypertension, and all serum creatinine values were normal at a mean 26 months' follow-up. No patient developed urinoma or abscess, and none required open surgical exploration. Ureteral stents may be used safely and effectively to treat persistent or recurrent urinary extravasation resulting from major blunt renal trauma in appropriately selected patients. In addition, ureteral stents may avoid the need for surgical exploration in patients with Grade IV renal trauma who develop recurrent gross hematuria, flank pain, and persistent or recurrent extravasation secondary to clot obstruction.