[Stent implantation as a palliative measure in an inoperable bronchial tumor. Initial experiences with an...

Imminent asphyxia due to tracheal or bronchial compression by inoperable tumors in the mediastinum and the central bronchi is serious, particularly if alternative treatments, i.e., radiation or chemotherapy, have been exhausted. For that reason, stents of different diameters and lengths were developed that could be dilated. With the patient under general anesthesia these stents can be introduced into the stenotic bronchus or trachea through a rigid bronchoscope. The appropriate stent is mounted on a 3-mm balloon catheter, which is inflated after the stent is in the correct position. Positioning is done under direct bronchoscopic and fluoroscopic control. After deflation of the balloon, the stent maintains its cross-sectional shape and keeps the airway open. The first clinical application was in a 53-year-old patient with end-stage small-cell carcinoma. The patient had had a relapse after combined chemo- and radiotherapy and had severe stridor. Stent insertion led to a significant relief of symptoms. The second patient, a 53-year-old woman who suffered from collapse of the bronchus caused by a radionecrosis, was treated by the same method. Nine months later, ventilation is excellent in the left lung, and the patient can tolerate the stent without any clinical symptoms. A 69-year-old woman suffered from a tracheal carcinoma with severe tracheal stenosis. It was possible to maintain the stability of the collapsed tracheal wall by insertion of a tracheal stent. This new technique can provide good palliative treatment and is sometimes even the main therapy in such cases.