[Airway stenting with inhalation anesthesia in malignant airway stenosis or fistula under radiological guidance].
OBJECTIVE
To assess the efficacy and safety of airway stenting with inhalation anesthesia under radiological guidance in the palliation of malignant tracheobronchial stenosis.


METHODS
Between June 2001 and August 2010, 74 consecutive patients with malignant tracheobronchial stenosis were treated by the insertion of an ultraflex self-expandable metal stent with inhalation anesthesia under fluoroscopic guidance.


RESULTS
All patients achieved obvious symptomatic relief. The outcomes were as follows: dyspnea (n = 2), long-term angina (n = 1), strong irritation cough (n = 2), hard phlegm (n = 3), clotting expectoration (n = 3), blood-tinged expectoration (n = 64), airway stent displacement (n = 1) and tracheoesophageal fistulas (n = 1).


CONCLUSIONS
Performed with inhalation anesthesia under radiological guidance, tracheobronchial recanalization with a self-expandable metal stent is a safe and effective palliative treatment for malignant stenosis.
Department of Interventional Radiology, Jiangsu Tumor Hospital, Nanjing 210009, China.
Wei
W
Xi
Qing-Yu
QY
Xu
Shi-Xi
SX
Chen
Lian-Bing
LB
Gu
Jian-da
JD
Wu
D000769:Anesthesia, Inhalation; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic; D005402:Fistula; D006801:Humans; D010166:Palliative Care; D015607:Stents