[Esophageal and intestinal stents]

Implantation of expandable metal stents has evolved during the last decade as an established method for the palliation of tumourous obstruction within the gastrointestinal tract. Rigid plastic stents have initially been used for the treatment of dysphagia due to esophageal carcinoma. The development of different types of self expandable metal stents with differing physical characteristics has facilitated their use for the palliative treatment of not only esophageal but gastroduodenal and colonic obstruction as well. The hallmark of these devices is the thin diameter of the compressed stents which allows introducing them into the obstructed segment without the need of aggressive dilatation. Once in place their compression is released and they self expand to a final diameter of approximately 20 mm. Perforation thus occurs rarely and these stents may successfully be placed in over 90% of patients with complete relief of obstruction in over 80%. The most frequent complications are stent dislocation and stent obstruction due to food impaction or tumour overgrowth.