I just had a 10 mm stone removed through a Ureteroscopy and Laser Lithotripsy last month. I have been susceptible to stones since 1993.
The worst part afterwards was pulling the stent out myself a week after the surgery. Having done it before I knew what was coming. It was not painful pulling it out but just a really weird sensation you feel clear up in your tonsils, which is about how long the stent is. A friend asked me what it was like pulling out the stent and I asked him if he had ever pulled a water well line to change the pump... once you grab it and start pulling you just keep going hand over hand until it exits. The stent and suture material they leave hanging out is literally two feet long.
Once it is out however, it is instant relief.
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