Comparison of plastic prostheses and self-expandable metallic stents in the treatment of malignant esophageal stenosis.
OBJECTIVE
We compared the efficacy of plastic prostheses and self-expandable metallic stents in the treatment of malignant esophageal stenosis and/or fistula.


METHODS
Subjects were 31 patients with esophageal cancer, 4 with esophagotracheal fistula, and 1 with esophageal stenosis. A plastic prosthesis was inserted in 15 patients (group A) and a self-expandable metallic stent in 21 patients (group B). We evaluated food ingestion improvement, effectiveness, complications, mean survival, food ingestion duration, the percentage of food ingestion capability in total survival time, and inhospital mortality.


RESULTS
No differences were seen in food intake improvement or in the effectiveness between groups, whereas fatal complications were higher in Group A. No significant differences were seen in mean survival, food ingestion duration, percentage of food ingestion capability, or inhospital mortality between groups.


CONCLUSIONS
We concluded that a self-expandable metallic stent was safer than a plastic prosthesis because of fewer serious complications such as bleeding, and recommended the use of metallic stents in the treatment of malignant esophageal stenosis and/or fistula.
Takagi
Y
Y
Department of Surgery, Tokyo Medical University, 6-7-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0023, Japan.
Aoki
T
T
Osaka
Y
Y
Kuroda
N
N
Moritani
M
M
Takagi
M
M
Tamura
K
K
Okada
R
R
Sato
S
S
Koyanagi
Y
Y
D000368:Aged; D004940:Esophageal Stenosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010969:Plastics; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D015607:Stents; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D014138:Tracheoesophageal Fistula / Q000628:therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D010969:Plastics