Coated expandable metal stents are effective irrespective of airway pathology
Background: Tracheobronchial stents are a treatment option for inoperable benign or malignant
tracheobronchial stenosis (TBS) or postoperative bronchopleural fistulas (POBPF). The present study
evaluated the outcomes of patients with TBS and POBPF who were treated by placement of recent
generation, fully covered, self-expanding metallic stents (SEMS) and determined stent efficacy relative to
airway pathology.
Methods: From January 2009 to January 2016, 68 patients with TBS or POBPF underwent rigid