[A specific tracheobronchial endoprosthesis]

The author describes a dedicated tracheobronchial stent in treatment for the external compression of the main airway. The stent is made of moulded silicone and its outside surface has regular studs which are placed so as to prevent displacement. The first results are very encouraging. 146 prostheses have been positioned in 80 patients. Tolerance has been excellent and complications were rare. Unfortunately migration occurred 14 times: in 7 cases this was with one of the early prototypes which was poorly designed, and obstruction was noted in 4 cases without major problems. At the time of writing there has been a mean follow-up of 3 months, and the longest follow-up has been 21 months.