Scand J Urol Nephrol
-
To compare the effects of age and presence or absence of renal impairment at the time of 'J' stent insertion on the subsequent fate of prolonged forgotten stents. ⋯ In a growing child a prolonged forgotten 'J' stent is very likely to undergo spontaneous fracture due to the stress exerted on it as a result of cranio-caudal growth of the child. In adults, prolonged forgotten stents become calcified, brittle and lose tensile strength after more than one year of placement and may fracture either spontaneously or during attempts to remove them endoscopically. In patients producing hypotonic urine such as patients with moderate renal failure, a prolonged forgotten stent may remain little affected by the passage of time.