Use of silicone stents in the management of airway problems

Tracheobronchial Gland Tumors

“…Local destruction of tumor alone may be accomplished by methods other than bronchoscopic coring-out: the laser, cryosurgery, brachytherapy, photodynamic therapy, or argon beam coagulation. Malignant strictures may be stented using T tubes 46,47 or a tracheostomy tube. Because self-expanding stents are almost impossible to remove once placed, life expectancy should be limited to a few months at the time of insertion so that secondary complications of stenting do not have an impact on quality of life.…”

Results of Montgomery T-Tube in Primary Treatment of Laryngotracheal Stenosis

“…Cooper performed this procedure in 47 patients in 1989 and reported satisfying results [15]. We experienced no problems except collection of tracheal secretions in first cases in which we applied this procedure.…”

Stent Placement Is Justifiable in End-Stage Patients with Malignant Airway Tumours

“…Various uses of stenting to alleviate central airways obstruction have become available [10][11][12][13][14], Stents were inserted either through a tracheostoma or the larynx after tumour debulking.…”

“…Unfortunately, for extraluminal tumour obstruction, the above-mentioned techniques are unsuitable, and the placement of a stent is the only bronchoscopic alternative to restore the dimension and rigidity of the tracheobron chial tree [10][11][12], Various stents are now available for this purpose [10][11][12][13][14][15], We report our experience in stent ing the tracheobronchial tree in patients in whom tumour compression became apparent after Nd-YAG laser tu mour debulking. All patients, except 2 with oesophageal tumours, had been treated before with external irradia tion and Nd-YAG laser or with other endoscopic tech niques.…”