This method is sometimes used as a temporary measure, to prevent damage to a blocked kidney, until a procedure to remove the stone can be performed.

[citation needed] A technical drawback of ureteric stents is that they by-pass the 1-way valve at the entrance of the ureter into the bladder, the normal vesicoureteral (ureteral-bladder) junction.

The main risk of such a backflow is the spreading of urinary tract infections up into the renal pelvis, which can then lead to an inflammation of the kidney (pyelonephritis).

Ureteric stenting is therefore no option, if the patient shows conditions which favor a backflow of urine from the bladder to the kidney or if a urinary tract infection is present or suspected.

Major such conditions are:[1] The main complications with ureteral stents are dislocation, infection and blockage by encrustation.

Drugs used for the treatment of OAB (over active bladder) are sometimes given to reduce or eliminate the increased urgency and frequency of urination caused by the presence of the stent.

Cystoscopy involves placement of a small flexible tube through the urethra (the hole where urine exits the body).

The procedure, which usually takes only a few minutes and causes little discomfort, is performed in an outpatient clinic or ambulatory surgery centre.

[citation needed] Peer reviewed papers show that more than 98% of stents can be retrieved with a magnet in adults, paediatric and kidney transplant patients.

Avoidance of a general anesthetic in children is very significant and also results in enormous cost-savings because the procedure no longer need to be done in the operating room.