Use of stents in head and neck surgery.
OBJECTIVE
This paper provides a review of the most recent literature regarding the use of endoluminal stents in the upper aerodigestive tract.


RESULTS
New technologies and materials as well as modifications of traditional stents allows the palliation of patients with esophageal and tracheobronchial obstruction due to carcinoma, to obturate tracheoesophageal fistulas in patients who are poor surgical candidates and to provide temporary relief of aspiration while awaiting for definitive surgery. The use of stents for airway obstruction is limited by their tendency to migrate (silicone stents) or to produce abundant and airway threatening granulation tissue (self expandable metal stents).


CONCLUSIONS
Stents are best used for the palliation of obstruction caused by tracheobronchial or esophageal malignancies and for those patients affected by benign conditions but who are considered poor surgical candidates.
Carrau
Ricardo L
RL
Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Eye & Ear Institute, Suite 500, 200 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. carraul@upmc.edu
D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005548:Foreign-Body Migration; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D010166:Palliative Care; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D015607:Stents