Ureteral stents are essential in routine urologic practice for maintaining urinary drainage and preventing obstruction. Traditional stents are often associated with pain, urinary symptoms, encrustation, infection, and the need for secondary removal procedures. In theory, an "ideal" ureteral stent would address these challenges. This scoping review summarizes contemporary advancements in ureteral stent technology, including innovations in material and design, functional mechanisms, coating systems, and drug elution.
An electronic literature search was performed on MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library using MeSH terms from inception to August 2025. Screening and data extraction were performed by two independent reviewers. All studies reporting on technological innovations and advancements in ureteral stent design aimed at improving clinical outcomes and reducing patient morbidity were included.
Of the 1407 identified studies, 62 were included in the final review. The included studies were categorized into the following specific categories: stent material, design, and positioning, anti-reflux mechanisms, biodegradable stents, stent removal innovations, stent coatings and drug-eluting systems.
Despite substantial advancements in stent technology, no universal "ideal" stent exists. Contemporary advancements in ureteral stent technology span across multiple domains, including innovations in stent material and design, anti-reflux mechanisms, biodegradable systems, stent coatings, and drug-eluting systems. Future ureteral stent development is anticipated to focus on patient-specific customization. Continued translational research and clinical validation are required to integrate many of these ureteral stent innovations into routine urological practice.
World journal of urology. 2026 May 14*** epublish ***
Nick Lee, Anouk Leathead, Liam Murad, Theodoros Tokas, Bhaskar Somani, Selçuk Güven, Malek Meskawi, Vineet Gauhar, Naeem Bhojani
Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada. ., Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada., Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada., Department of Urology, University General Hospital of Heraklion, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece., European Association of Urology Section of Endourology, Arnhem, Netherlands.