Hydrophilic Coated Ureteral Stents: Enhancing Long-term Safety and Patient Comfort

As a commonly used medical device for treating urinary tract diseases, ureteral stents are indispensable after various urological surgeries. However, the use of ureteral stents is a double-edged sword; while they benefit patients, they often cause various problems and complications. Because ureteral stents are immersed in urine for extended periods, crystals in the urine gradually deposit and encrust on the surface and inside the stent, forming peri-stent calculi. Encrusted ureteral stents not only become brittle and have reduced tensile strength, increasing the risk of fracture during removal, but also cause damage to the ureteral epithelium. 

Reducing the friction on the stent surface is one way to improve this. Based on the characteristic that the hydrophilicity of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) hydrogel coating can significantly reduce the friction between the stent and ureteral tissue, a hydrophilic coated ureteral stent is prepared by thermal curing of a hydrophilic lubricating coating composed of PVP, polyurethane prepolymer, and polyol. The good biocompatibility and low friction characteristics of the DAXANMED hydrophilic ureteral stent can reduce the urethral epithelial reaction after stent placement, ensuring the safety and effectiveness of the ureteral stent during long-term placement and improving the efficiency of long-term drainage. By increasing the hydrophilicity of the ureteral stent surface, crystal deposition can be prevented.