Interventional pulmonology, otherwise known as "airway stenting," has developed in the field of pulmonary medicine focused on using advanced bronchoscopic techniques to treat airway disorders. Tracheobronchial disorders can be caused by malignant or benign
tumors, extrinsic compression, postintubation tracheal
injuries,
tracheobronchomalacia, or sequelae after
tracheostomy. Tracheobronchial
prostheses, known as airway
stents, are used to palliate the effects of large
airway obstruction. Specially designed
stents are being used increasingly, not only in the airways, but also in the biliary tree, esophagus, urinary tract, and vascular system. There are two main types of airway
stents currently available; tube
stents made of
silicone, and expandable metallic
stents.
Silicone stents are usually placed with the aid of a rigid
bronchoscope while the patient is under
general anesthesia. Unlike
silicone stents,
metal stents can be placed with a flexible
bronchoscope. We examine the advantages and disadvantages of currently available
stents and present our thoughts on the future development of airway stenting.