Kidney Stone Stents: What’s Normal, What’s Not, and How to Stay Comfortable

What Is a Ureteral Stent?

A ureteral stent is a thin, soft, flexible tube that sits between the kidney and the bladder. Its job is simple: keep urine flowing while the drainage tube from the kidney, called the ureter, heals after surgery. It’s temporary, and it’s placed to protect your kidney—not because something went wrong.

Why Would I Need a Stent?

Stents are not automatic. Your urologist decides during surgery whether one is needed based on what they see. They’re more likely when a stone is large or sharp, when there’s swelling or irritation, when the ureter (the drainage tube) needs to be stretched, or when stone pieces are expected to pass afterward. In these situations, a stent is the safer choice.

They’re also very common. Many kidney stone surgeries involve a temporary stent, especially procedures where stones are broken up with a laser. If you end up with one, you didn’t get unlucky—you’re well within the normal range.

How Does a Stent Work?

The stent works by holding the ureter (the drainage tube) open so urine can move easily from the kidney to the bladder. This prevents pressure from building up and gives everything time to calm down. Your urologist chooses the size based on your body and the procedure. Patients don’t choose the size, and there isn’t a version that feels “good.” Any stent can be irritating—but it’s important to know that not everyone has trouble with one. Many people have minimal symptoms or none at all. You just don’t hear from them as often.

Common Symptoms While a Stent Is In Place

Now let’s talk about what people complain about—because hearing this ahead of time matters if you are one of the people who feel it.

While a stent is in place, some people feel bladder pressure, the urge to urinate more often, or burning when they pee. Others notice discomfort in the lower belly, groin, or back, especially after urinating. Urine that looks pink or lightly red on and off is also common. Some people experience cramping or sharp spasms. These sensations often get worse when you’re more active and ease up with rest and hydration.

These are the complaints you may have heard about—and while they can be uncomfortable, they are very common and usually not dangerous.

Your At-Home Comfort Toolkit

A simple at-home comfort toolkit can make a big difference while a stent is in place. Steady hydration throughout the day helps keep urine diluted and reduces irritation. Going to the bathroom regularly instead of holding urine can ease pressure. Rest
matters more than people expect, and warmth—like a heating pad on the lower belly or back—can be very soothing. Loose clothing and planning easy days close to home also help more than most people realize.

What About Spasms After Stent Removal?

Now let’s talk about something patients ask me about all the time—spasms after the stent is taken out.

Yes, spasms after stent removal are common. When the stent comes out, the ureter and bladder have to re-adjust. That adjustment can trigger cramping or spasms that feel sudden, sharp, or wave-like. Some people feel them mainly when they urinate, while others feel them off and on throughout the day.

For most people, these spasms improve over a few days and continue to settle over the first week. It can feel alarming if no one warned you, but in most cases, it’s part of the normal healing process—not a sign that something is wrong.

Managing Post-Removal Spasms

At home, the same basics help here too. Steady hydration, rest, warmth to the lower belly or back, and avoiding overdoing it physically can all reduce spasm intensity. Many patients notice that spasms ease when they stop rushing recovery and let their
body catch up.

When to Call Your Urologist

You should call your urologist if spasms are getting worse instead of better, if they’re severe and constant, if you develop fever or chills, if you can’t urinate, or if the pain feels exactly like a full kidney stone attack that isn’t easing.

What Else Is Normal After Removal?

When the stent is removed, it’s also normal to have burning with urination, urgency, mild back or lower belly soreness, or pinktinged urine for a day or two. Some people feel immediate relief. Others need several days for everything to fully settle. Both
are normal.

Stent removal: what to expect and what’s normal

One of the most common questions I hear is, “What is it like when the stent comes out?” This is a fair question, and I want to answer it honestly so you aren’t surprised — without making it sound scarier than it needs to be.

Stent removal is usually quick and done in the urologist’s office. The actual removal often takes only a few minutes. Some people feel pressure or pulling, while others feel real pain during the removal. If it hurts, that does not mean something is wrong. It means the urinary tract is sensitive after surgery, which is very common.

What matters just as much is how people feel afterward. Many patients have symptoms for the next 24 to 72 hours. Burning with urination, bladder spasms, urgency, frequent trips to the bathroom, blood in the urine, or aching in the lower back or belly are all common. Some people notice cramping that comes in waves, especially when they urinate.

I hear this a lot: “I was told it would be easy, so I wasn’t expecting pain.” If this is you, please know this — discomfort after stent removal does not mean damage was done. The urinary system has been irritated by surgery and by the stent itself, and it needs time to settle down.

Drinking fluids helps flush the system and reduce irritation. Many people feel better taking it easy the day the stent is removed. It is normal to feel relief that the stent is gone while still feeling sore or uncomfortable for a short time.

Call your urologist if you have fever or chills, pain that keeps getting worse instead of better, trouble urinating, or heavy bleeding with clots. Those symptoms are not typical and should be checked.

Most patients feel steady improvement within a few days, even if the first day or two are uncomfortable. The key thing I want you to remember is this: pain with stent removal can happen, it is usually temporary, and it does pass.

The Bottom Line

Here’s the most important thing I want you to remember: most fear around stents comes from uncertainty and scary stories without context. Many people do just fine with a stent. And even if you do feel discomfort—before or after it’s removed—it does not mean damage or danger. Stents are temporary, and knowing what’s normal takes away much of the fear.

See you next week,

Your friend,
Nurse Jill

P.S. I have had many patients tell me they are putting off surgery because they are “afraid of getting a stent.” Please do not do that. If your urologist says the stone should come out, the stent is NOT something that should impede your decision on surgery.
I have heard of some not-so-happy outcomes from putting surgeries off over the years, which is what prompted this newsletter!