Removal of covered metallic stents with a bullet head for bronchopleural fistula using a fluoroscopy-assisted...

To investigate the feasibility and safety of a fluoroscopy-assisted interventional technique for removal of bullet-shaped self-expanding covered metallic stents from bronchopleural fistulas (BPFs).

Clinical data for 49 consecutive patients who underwent removal of bullet-shaped self-expanding covered metal stents from October 2010 to November 2019 were analysed retrospectively. Fifty-one stents were removed in all, including 29 large Y-shaped bullet stents, 10 small Y-shaped bullet stents, and 12 branched bullet-shaped stents. The average duration for which tracheal stents were in place was 99.4±8.5 days.

Fifty-one stents were removed successfully, of which 49 were directly removed on the first attempt. The time required for stent removal ranged from 7-60 minutes (median time, 22 minutes). In eight cases, the stent was removed by the conventional method (i.e., grasping the upper tip of the stent to collapse and adduct the proximal end), and in 43 by the eversion method (i.e., grasping the distal end of the stent to invert and peel out).

Interventional radiology is a simple, safe, and effective method to extract self-expanding covered metallic bullet-shaped stents, with no need for general anaesthesia and tracheal intubation. It has a short operation time, is well tolerated by patients, and is worthy of clinical application.