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Published on: January 21, 2020
Performance of fully covered self-expanding metallic stents in benign airway strictures
Christophe Dooms1, Tom De Keukeleire, Annelies Janssens
1Department of Pulmonology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Background:
Airway stenting has become a common technique in inoperable benign strictures. An ideal stent does not yet exist for these conditions. Recently, fully covered self-expandable metallic stents (SEMS) have been commercialized with potential use in benign airway strictures.
Objective:
We retrospectively reviewed the clinical effectiveness of fully covered SEMS in the management of benign strictures.
Methods:
A total of 17 patients received 20 stents: 7 Silmet, 8 Taewoong and 5 Alveolus stents. Ten stents were deployed in a structural postintubation tracheal stenosis. Other indications were multinodular goiter, anastomotic stricture, endobronchial posttuberculosis scar, damaged cartilage and relapsing polychondritis.
Results:
In our series, the short-term (<12 weeks after stent deployment) complication rate was 75%, requiring stent removal in 60%. Overall, stent migration was observed in 65%, stent fracture in 15%, shriveling of the stent in 10% and granulation formation in 10%.
Conclusion:
The use of fully covered SEMS for the treatment of benign airway strictures is associated with a high short-term complication rate requiring stent removal. We have abandoned in our clinical practice the use of fully covered SEMS for benign airway strictures.
