DR ZAIN MUKHTAR,DR NAVEED IQBAL,DR SHAHEEN KHAN BAHADAR,DR MUHAMMAD ABDULLAH HARIS,DR SAAD ALI KHAN,DR MUHAMMAD FARAZ LATIF
DOI: https://doi.org/Background: Endourological surgery is a common practice in the management of urinary tract stones and double-j stents are commonly inserted in the ureter to prevent obstructions and complications. Nevertheless, the placement of stents has been linked to pain in the urinals and the possible effect on sexual performance. There is still limited evidence on this effect especially on local populations.
Objective: To compare the effect of endourological procedures performed with and without double-J stent placement on sexual function.
Methods: The present study was a quasi-experimental one that was done at the Department of Urology and renal transplant, Jinnah hospital, Lahore from August 2025 to November 2025. One hundred and ten patients (20-60 years) undergoing endourological procedure were recruited and included two groups; Group A (n=55) had a double-J stent procedure and Group B (n=55), did not receive the stent. Demographic and clinical information regarding preoperative was taken. At 3 months, the outcomes of postoperative, such as lower urinary tract symptoms (as measured by IPSS) and sexual function scores were observed. Analytics was conducted on the independent samples t-test, stratified analysis, and the level of p 0.05 was taken as significant.
Results: There was no difference in operative time and intraoperative blood loss. The IPSS scores were much better in the stent group than in the non-stent group (13.90 ± 5.03 vs 9.75 ± 4.06; p < 0.001). In the same vein, there was a lower postoperative sexual function in stent patients (12.42 ± 4.26 vs 10.48 ± 2.69; p = 0.005). Such results indicate that the installation of stents is connected with the emergence of additional urinary symptoms and a temporary decrease in sexual activity.
Conclusion: Enduring effects of lower urinary tract symptoms and temporary effects on sexual functioning with double-J stents postoperative endourology procedures are proven but have no effect on the time of operation and blood loss. It is suggested to use selective stenting and proper patient counseling that would reduce the morbidity and enhance the quality of life after the operation.
