Use of the Polyflex stent in the palliative therapy of esophageal carcinoma: results in 14 cases and review of the literature.
BACKGROUND
Several prospective randomized trials have shown that self-expanding stents have advantages over conventional plastic tubes. Nevertheless, the optimal stent has not yet been developed. The Polyflex stent is a completely new model that represents an improvement over the old metal stents. We have used this stent in a prospective study and herein our present preliminary results.


METHODS
In 14 patients with nonresectable esophageal carcinoma, the Polyflex stent was implanted to reduce dysphagia. The grade of dysphagia, the complications following intervention, and the patients' total survival time were documented prospectively every 4 weeks.


RESULTS
The implantation of the stent was successful in all cases. The grade of the dysphagia was reduced from 3.0 to 0.5 after stent implantation. One patient died during the hospital stay from a non-stent-induced complication. Stent dislocation occurred once, and tumor overgrowth at the stent margins was observed twice. The mean survival time was 6.2 months, and the reintervention rate was 21.3%.


CONCLUSIONS
The new Polyflex stent, which is based on a completely new design, can be implanted without any difficulty and has had very good short- and long-term results. Therefore, it is a worthy alternative to the metal stents in current use.
Decker
P
P
Department of Surgery, Rheinische Friedrich Wilhelm University Bonn, Sigmund Freud Strasse 25, 53105 Bonn,Germany.
Lippler
J
J
Decker
D
D
Hirner
A
A
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011093:Polyethylene Terephthalates / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012828:Silicones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015607:Stents; D013526:Surgical Mesh; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D011093:Polyethylene Terephthalates; D012828:Silicones