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Kidney stones

Why do I need a stent after kidney stone surgery?

By Advanced Urology · November 10, 2026

Why do you need a stent after kidney stone surgery?

Short version

A stent is a thin, soft tube that runs from the kidney to the bladder, inside your body. After a stone procedure, the ureter can swell.

A closer look

The stent keeps urine draining while it heals and lets small pieces pass. Urgency, frequency, mild discomfort, and some blood in the urine are common. It usually stays in for days to a couple of weeks.

Getting it checked

Call us if you have pain that medicine doesn't control.

Close to home in Pickens

Our Jasper Clinic on Gordon Rd offers Pickens County patients visits, lab work and testing. For the occasional procedure, we book you into our surgical suites in Marietta.

Request a visit at Advanced Urology to go over your options.

Call (678) 344-8900 Book a visit online

More from the Advanced Urology learning center

Advanced Urology guide: Kidney stones

Before and after surgery

Pickens County stone patients see our team at our Jasper Clinic, and ureteroscopy is performed at our Marietta Clinic & Surgery Center. We'll explain whether a stent is likely and how long it will stay.

Why our urologists place a stent

After a stone is broken up, the ureter can swell. A stent, a thin flexible tube from kidney to bladder, keeps urine flowing while it heals. It can cause urgency, frequency, mild blood in the urine or flank discomfort when you urinate, and these ease once it's removed, usually in a quick office visit.

Call promptly if

  • Fever or chills
  • Pain that medicine doesn't control
  • Heavy bleeding or clots
  • You can't urinate

Common questions

Common questions

Can I work with a stent?

Most people can work, drive and travel with a stent, though urgency, a pulling feeling or pink urine can be bothersome. Pain medicine and a bladder-relaxing medicine help.

What if it has a string?

Some stents have a thin string taped to the skin so the stent can be pulled out at home or in the office on a set date. Removal takes seconds and usually feels like a brief cramp.

Jasper, Talking Rock and Marble Hill residents can phone (678) 344-8900.

Drinking plenty of fluids helps flush the stent and eases bladder irritation. Some people find relief from medicines that relax the bladder; ask us if symptoms bother you.

Stents are typically removed within the first two weeks after surgery.

Questions are always welcome.

Most people feel better soon after removal.

Related reading

Videos from Advanced Urology

Kidney Stones and Ureteroscopy - Everything you need to know What the video covers: A video of about seven and a half minutes on kidney stones and ureteroscopy, based on its title. Watch on YouTube
Kidney Stones? 3 Ways to Remove Them What the video covers: In under two minutes, Dr. Casey McCullough compares three procedures for a stuck stone, among them lithotripsy and ureteroscopy, and notes that stone size, position, hardness and overall health steer the decision. Watch on YouTube

Videos play here from Advanced Urology’s YouTube channel, using YouTube’s privacy-enhanced mode.

Where can I go from here?

Start with the condition page, then call or book online whenever you are ready.

Questions after reading this? Our offices in Marietta, Canton, Dallas and Jasper share one phone line and one caring team.

Call (678) 344-8900 Book online