Ureteral Stent Materials

This chapter focuses on ureteral stent materials, including polyurethane, silicone, polyester, hydrogel/urethane/silicone blends, polyisobutylene, polystyrene, polyglycolic acid, polymethacralate, and metallic stents. It addresses some key issues that globally encompass some of the challenges and pitfalls associated with indwelling materials in the urinary tract. The complications that are associated with indwelling ureteral stents have impacted the choice and evolution of the materials used, which has driven the technological advances in their designs. On the forefront of technology in ureteral stent design are biodegradable materials and polymers. The most notable of these are temporary ureteral drainage stents (TUDS), polyglycolic acid (PGA), and polyactic acid (PLA). Bovine shoulder chondrocytes fabricated over PGA mesh scaffolding examined both in vitro and in vivo, and demonstrated to withstand high degrees of pressure. This holds promise for the future stent designs.