[Self-expanding nitinol stents in the treatment of tracheobronchial stenoses].
BACKGROUND
Several types of metal stents are available for the treatment of tracheobronchial stenosis. They can be self-expanding, balloon expandable, covered with a silicone membrane or uncovered. We have used a new self-expanding tracheobronchial nitinol wire stent since 1998, and our results are presented below.


METHODS
Over a period of two years, 25 patients had a stent in the trachea or bronchus. The stents were inserted while the patients were under general anaesthesia, and flexible bronchoscopy was used. Respiratory function, histopathology, stent data, complications, and mortality were prospectively recorded.


RESULTS
Eighteen patients had a malignant stenosis. Bronchial stenosis following a single lung transplantation (3) was the most frequent reason for a benign stenosis (7). Most of the patients had the stent placed in the trachea (14). All the stent insertions were performed without complications, and respiratory function was immediately improved in all patients except for two. The postoperative complications were inflammatory granuloma (5), stent dislocation (3), delayed expansion (2), stent rupture (1), and stent occlusion caused by retained secretions (1).


CONCLUSIONS
The tracheobronchial ultraflex nitinol stent was easy to handle and was troublesome for only a few patients. Nitinol stents are considered to have a good biocompatibility, but 12% of the patients developed inflammatory granulations requiring electroresection.
Sparup
Jørgen
J
Hjertecentret, thoraxkirurgisk afdeling-2152, H:S Rigshospitalet, DK-2100 København ø. sparup@rh.dk
Borgeskov
Sven
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000497:Alloys; D001982:Bronchial Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015607:Stents / Q000009:adverse effects; D014135:Tracheal Stenosis / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000497:Alloys; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible; C013616:nitinol