[Endoscopic prosthesis insertion in the palliative treatment of malignant esophageal stenosis. (Endoscopic esophageal...

We report our experience with endoscopic esophageal prosthesis in the treatment of 82 patients with advanced malignant oesophageal stenosis. The cause of the stenosis was an esophageal or esophagogastric cancer in 75 cases and a bronchogenic cancer in 7 patients. In 18 cases a tracheobronchial fistula was also present. A silicone tube (Atkinson) was used in 58 patients, a polyvinyl tube (Wilson-Cook) in 22 cases and a self-expanding tube in the remaining 2 patients. There was no technical failure in the insertion of the prosthesis. A normal feeding was possible in 71 of the 82 patients (86%) within 48 after the intubation. Major complications occurred in 8 cases (9.7%), 4 patients with esophageal perforation and 4 cases with aspiration bronchopneumonia. Postoperative mortality rate was 7.3%, one patient with perforation, 3 cases with aspiration bronchopneumonia and 2 patients with sepsis. The prosthesis partially displaced in 9 cases, but could be endoscopically replaced in all of them. The displacement of the prosthesis was complete in 3 patients, one of which needed a surgical procedure to remove the tube. The prosthesis was bunged up by a solid meal bolus in 4 cases, but an endoscopic procedure was successful in removing the bolus. Therapy with laser was necessary in two cases with self-expanding prosthesis obstructed by tumoral growth. We conclude that, in malignant esophageal stenosis, the endoscopic implantation of esophageal endoprosthesis is an effective, cheap and relatively safe palliative therapeutic alternative with a low postoperative mortality rate.