Abstract:Objective To compare the clinical effects of short-term placement of F3 catheter and conventional placement of double-J stent after ureteroscopic holmium laser lithotripsy for lower ureteral calculi. Methods A total of 60 patients with lower ureteral calculi who underwent ureteroscopic holmium laser lithotripsy at the First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine from January 2022 to June 2023 were randomly divided into observation group (short-term placement of F3 catheter) with 30 cases and control group (conventional placement of double-J stent) with 30 cases. Postoperative comparisons between the two groups were made in terms of hospital stay, degree of lumbago, duration of hematuria, urinary tract infection, and bladder irritation symptoms. Results All 60 patients were successfully operated on, and no significant bleeding or ureteral stricture observed during the operation. Postoperative abdominal X-ray examinations showed no residual stones. Compared with the control group, incidence rates of urinary tract infection (6.67%? vs 36.67%， χ²=7.954， P=0.005) and bladder irritation symptoms (10.00%? vs 46.67%， χ²=9.932，P=0.002) in the observation group were lower, with a statistically significant difference (P＜0.01). Compared with the control group, the observation group had shorter duration of postoperative hematuria, shorter hospital-stay, and lower VAS scores for lumbago, with statistically significant differences (P＜0.01). No ureteral stricture occurred in either group during the 2-month follow-up. Conclusion Short-term placement of F3 catheter after ureteroscopic holmium laser lithotripsy is safe and effective.