Preliminary Study for a Newly Designed Silicone Stent and Delivery System for Canine Obstructive Tracheal Disease

Abstract

ABSTRACT. The goal of this study was to prove the possibility of using silicone stents broadly used for human medicine in canine obstructive tracheal disease. A silicone stent anatomically designed for canine trachea was tested on 5 beagle dogs for 8 weeks. The stent was carefully inserted using a newly developed delivery device under fluoroscopic guidance. There were no technical difficulties in placing the stent during the procedure. Previously reported complications of airway stenting such as stent migration or granulation tissue formation did not occur in any of the cases. In addition, removal of the stent was as simple as inserting it, and complications were absent. The stent introduced in this study could possibly be applied to various canine obstructive tracheal diseases.

Comparison of Fluoroscopy and Computed Tomography for Tracheal Lumen Diameter Measurement and Determination of Intraluminal Stent Size in Healthy Dogs

“…Tracheal assessment for determining appropriate stent size includes measurement of the maximum tracheal diameter (while under positive pressure ventilation) using radiography or fluoroscopy as well as the length of affected trachea . A stent is typically chosen that has a diameter that is 10–20% greater than the largest tracheal diameter during maximal inflation in an effort to accommodate stretching of the dorsal tracheal membrane and to prevent migration . Exact measurements of the tracheal diameter are problematic with radiography owing to the absence of sharp luminal borders due to overlying soft tissues …”