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Objective: To review the pioneering contributions of Dr. Robert Gibbons of Virginia Mason Medical Center to the evolution and development of the modern ureteral stent., Methods: We reviewed Dr. Gibbons' extensive work through primary sources, including interviews, projector slides, radiology images, stent prototypes, his personal writings, and archived documents. In addition, we performed a review of historical texts and manuscripts describing important innovations in the development of the ureteral stent., Results: In 1972, motivated by a desire to provide his patients with a long-term alternative to open nephrostomy and inspired by Drs. David Davis and Paul Zimskind, who in 1967 had described the use of indwelling ureteral silicone tubing, Dr. Gibbons began to experiment with modifications to improve upon existing stents. To address distal migration, Dr. Gibbons added "wings" that collapsed as the stent was advanced and expanded once in proper position to secure the stent in place. Barium was embedded into the proximal tip to facilitate radiographic visualization. A flange was added to the distal end, preventing proximal migration and minimizing trigonal irritation, and a tail was attached to aid in stent removal. The result was the original Gibbons stent, the first commercially available ureteral stent, and the establishment of Current Procedural Terminology code 52332, still used today., Conclusion: The ureteral stent is a fundamental component of urologic practice. In developing the Gibbons stent, Dr. Gibbons played a pivotal role in addressing the challenge of internal urinary diversion particularly for those who needed long-term management. Urologists and the patients they serve owe Dr. Gibbons and other surgeon-inventors a debt of gratitude for their innovative work., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

For more than 3500 years, urinary catheters have been used to drain the bladder when it fails to empty. For people with impaired bladder function and for whom the method is feasible, clean intermittent self-catheterization is the optimal procedure. For those who require an indwelling catheter, whether short- or long-term, the self-retaining Foley catheter is invariably used, as it has been since its introduction nearly 80 years ago, despite the fact that this catheter can cause bacterial colonization, recurrent and chronic infections, bladder stones and septicaemia, damage to the kidneys, the bladder and the urethra, and contribute to the development of antibiotic resistance. In terms of medical, social and economic resources, the burden of urinary retention and incontinence, aggravated by the use of the Foley catheter, is huge. In the UK, the harm resulting from the use of the Foley catheter costs the National Health Service between £1.0-2.5 billion and accounts for ∼2100 deaths per year. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the development of an alternative indwelling catheter system. The research agenda is for the new catheter to be easy and safe to insert, either urethrally or suprapubically, to be retained reliably in the bladder and to be withdrawn easily and safely when necessary, to mimic natural physiology by filling at low pressure and emptying completely without damage to the bladder, and to have control mechanisms appropriate for all users.

The first sounds and tubes were made of gold, bronze and tin or instruments made of reed, straw or rolled palm leaves. Over the course of the centuries the material as well as the design evolved because of the better knowledge of the anatomy of the human body. Especially French and German pioneers of the 19th and 20th century with their new innovations led to the progress of the catheter. From the search of the right material, to the innovation of and appropriate fixation mechanism in the bladder. Only by continous promotion of the inventions over the turn of the time a perfect instrument made of the perfect material could evolve.