EC PULMONOLOGY AND RESPIRATORY MEDICINE Review Article Medical Advances in Tracheobronchial Stenting

Tracheobronchial stenting is carried out to relieve airway obstruction caused by a variety of lesions such as tumors, strictures, tracheomalacia and bronchomalacia, which may not be suitable for resection and reconstruction. Historically, airway stenting was first attempted in the early 19th century, and since then, tracheostomy tubes and Montgomery tracheal T-tubes have been extensively used to palliate benign and malignant lesions. As technological advances continue to be made in the field of invasive respiratory medicine, further improvements in the design and manufacture of stents will continue, thereby increasing the number of patients who can avail treatment using this procedure. Large airway stenting has been extensively used as a palliative treatment for malignant tumors obstructing the airways. However, with further advances in technology and operator skills, tracheobronchial stenting is now being increasingly used for a number of non-malignant conditions also, which at times has proved to be quite curative in nature.