INTRODUCTION Self-expandable metal and plastic stents can be applied in the palliative endoscopic treatment of patients with unresectable malignant biliary obstruction. The use of metal stentsis recommended if the patient's life expectancy is more than four months. AIM To compare the therapeutic efficacy and cost-effectiveness of metal and plastic stents in the treatment of malignant biliary ...

We report the innovation of both a partly-covered and completely-covered, variable-diameter, balloon-expandable stent that was custom-designed by NuMed, Inc for percutaneous closure of a baffle leak after total caval pulmonary connection (TCPC). A 50-year-old patient, born with tricuspid atresia, who had undergone TCPC, developed severe persistent cyanosis due to a right-to-left shunt through a...

Stent thrombosis is a major limitation of stent-assisted coiling, which is an effective method for treating wide-necked aneurysms. Although early in-stent thrombosis has been reported, very late stent thrombosis (VLST) (>1 year) has not been reported following implantation of a single self-expandable stent designed for coiling. Herein, the authors present a case of VLST that occurred 14 months ...

Primary stenting in femoropopliteal lesions of intermediate length has recently shown favorable outcomes. However, stent fractures are a concern after bare metal stent implantation. The incidence of stent fracture varies widely (ranging from 2% to 65%) depending on factors such as the treated lesions or stent type and may potentially lead to various complications. We reported a case of stent fr...

OBJECTIVES To assess the role of temporary thermally expandable urethral stents in maintaining urethral patency in patients with a recurrent bulbar urethral stricture. PATIENTS AND METHODS Twenty-three men with a recurrent bulbar urethral stricture after several attempts at direct visual internal urethrotomy (DVIU) and/or failed urethroplasty were managed with a thermally expandable, biocompa...

Stent technology has progressed dramatically over the past 100 years. JJ stents are essential tools for any urologist. They do have however have their own limitations with complications including stone formation, infection, reflux, stent pain, migration and importantly encrustation, which therefore requires stent changes every 3-6 months. Metal stents have been used to try to minimise these com...

An expandable metal stent has been used to treat bronchial collapse due to polychondritis in one patient and extrinsic bronchial compression secondary to bronchogenic tumour in another.

AIMS Fluoroscopy is not available in every endoscopic unit. This situation leads to delays in treatment or to transfer of patients to other centres for stent insertion. We assessed safety and effectiveness of expandable esophageal metal stent placement under endoscopic control without fluoroscopy using a thin gastroscope. PATIENTS AND METHODS From October 2002 to June 2004, thirty-three conse...

Biliary stenting has evolved dramatically over the past 30 years. Advancements in stent design have led to prolonged patency and improved efficacy. However, biliary stenting is still affected by occlusion, migration, anatomical difficulties, and the need for repeat procedures. Multiple novel plastic biliary stent designs have recently been introduced with the primary goals of reduced migration ...

BACKGROUND Self-expandable stents loaded with 125I (iodine 125) seeds may combine the advantages of the immediate relief of esophageal dysphagia with stent placement and radiation therapy with brachytherapy. We compared the self-expanding irradiation stent with a conventional self-expandable covered stent in patients with malignant dysphagia due to recurrent esophageal cancer. METHODS The pat...