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Background- Retained ureteral stents have plagued the field of urology since their advent. The complications associated with retained stents are well known, so it is essential that stents are tracked contemporaneously to ensure timely removal. Our institution implemented a computer-based ureteral stent registry in 2009. This study describes our process of implementation, including data collection logistics, challenges and modifications to develop such a registry.
Methods- 2206 patients underwent ureteral stenting between 2009 and 2013. After surgery, the attending physician input their name, the patient name, indications for stent placement, date of placement and projected date of removal into a computer-based stent registry. This data was compared monthly with operating room charge data to ensure all stents were tracked. A list of stents not removed by their projected date was also generated monthly and the responsible urologist was notified to rectify the “retained stent” issue.
Results- Over a 4-year period, 2352 stents were tracked with greater than 99% removed at or prior to their expected removal dates. Twenty five (1%) were not removed by our staff within 2 weeks of their expected removal dates and required further evaluation to ensure those patients were not lost to follow-up.
Conclusions- Our data demonstrates that a computer-based stent registry has significant value in tracking ureteral stents and their subsequent removal. Implementation of a successful registry requires cooperation and buy-in by all surgeons placing stents and collaboration with institutional IT resources to ensure timely stent removal.