Clinical application of external fixation in preventing displacement of high-position airway stents: 2 case reports
Luna Yuan1, Yun Liu2, Yipeng Li3
1Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Jining No. 1 People's Hospital, Jining, Shandong Province, P.R. China.
Rationale:
Airway stenosis and tracheoesophageal fistulas are life-threatening emergencies, often complicated by asphyxia, recurrent infections, and fatal outcomes. Tracheal stent implantation is effective, but stent migration remains a critical complication, especially in subglottic high-position airway pathologies. This report aims to demonstrate an external stabilization technique to prevent stent migration in this high-risk group. Such cases are rarely reported.
Patient Concerns:
Two representative clinical cases with subglottic high-position airway pathologies requiring stent implantation.
Diagnoses:
Tracheoesophageal fistula, high-position airway stenosis.
Interventions:
The methods employed were either percutaneous suture fixation or snare wire anchorage, designed to achieve reliable stent immobilization. A modified snare wire fixation protocol was specifically developed to address the limitation of suture material failure.
Outcomes:
After repeated follow-up, the stents in both patients did not shift.
Lessons:
The innovative utilization of either percutaneous suture fixation or snare wire anchorage achieved reliable stent immobilization. The modified snare wire fixation technique offers enhanced long-term stability by overcoming the inherent risk of suture material failure and maintained an optimal safety profile and cost-effectiveness.
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