We conducted a Dumon
stent placement via endotracheal tube for 10 patients with airway
stenosis. The conventional endotracheal tube is inserted beyond the
stenosis site; this procedure is conducted with the use of a flexible
bronchoscope under
general anesthesia. The Dumon
stent is folded and inserted into the endotracheal tube and is then introduced into the
stenosis site with the use of a cylindrical-tipped
stainless steel wire as a pusher. Although the Dumon
stents were placed using a rigid
bronchoscope for the first 7 patients, the present procedure was used for the latest 10 patients. Compared with the rigid
bronchoscope technique, this procedure is suitable for the placement of a larger
stent for a shorter time. It has the following advantages over the rigid
bronchoscope technique: (1) the use of an endotracheal tube and flexible
bronchoscope makes the
stent placement easier for the practitioner and less stressful for the patient; (2) because of the flexibility of the endotracheal tube, a Dumon
stent can be placed easily, even in the left main bronchus or in a markedly shifted trachea or bronchus, and also in a patient who has difficulty in expanding the neck; (3) a
stent can be placed safely in a patient with severe
tracheal stenosis and
orthopnea. The present procedure does, however, have the disadvantage that it is difficult to control the direction of the tip of the endotracheal tube. We concluded that the present procedure could be a useful method for Dumon
stent placement.