Reversing left bronchus obstruction by compression of a pulmonary artery stent

We report a case where endovascular stenting as part of the treatment of complex cardiovascular disease led to airway compression. Using a novel technique, this was successfully reversed. Simultaneous inflations of two balloons-one in the obstructed bronchus and one in the aorta combined with external compression of the chest-resulted in compression the stent. This report illustrates that by thinking "out of the box" and bearing in mind spatial relationships inside the chest, it is possible to diminish the anterior-posterior diameters of a stent. This intervention proved to be successful with relief of the left bronchial compression and improvement of chronic airway infection. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.