The comparison of magnetic and stringed stents on stent-related symptoms and quality of life: an observational study on patient-driven choice

This study compared patients with stringed versus magnetic stents regarding quality of life and stent-related discomfort throughout the stent indwelling period. The aim of this study was to assist clinicians in selecting the appropriate type of stent considering stent-related symptoms. A total of 137 patients (56 females and 81 males) with ureteral stents were enrolled in the study. Pain scores using the visual analog scale (VAS) were recorded after surgery, before hospital discharge and prior to stent removal. Patients completed the Turkish-validated T-USSQ at stent removal to evaluate quality of life during stent indwelling period. A magnetic stent was placed in 52.6% (n = 72) of the patients while 47.4% (n = 65) of the patients had stringed stents. VAS values were comparable between the groups. Initially, univariate analysis showed significantly lower USSQ-Pain scores in the SS group (p = 0.026). However, after performing multivariate adjustment for gender and stent duration, no statistically significant differences were found between MS and SS in any USSQ subdomains or VAS scores (p > 0.05 for all). In this patient-selected cohort, both magnetic and stringed stents showed comparable morbidity profiles after adjusting for baseline variables. While SS may seem advantageous in univariate comparisons, these differences appear to be driven by patient demographics rather than the stent type itself.