Abstract:

To evaluate the technical success and clinical outcome of airway stenting by using self-expandable metallic stents with only fluoroscopy guidance at adult patients having severe dyspnea due to malignant tracheal stenosis. METHODS: From January 2004 to December 2012, 12 patients who had fluoroscopy guided airway stenting with metallic stents for severe dyspnea due to malignant tracheal stenosis were retrospectively analyzed for technical success and clinical outcome at a single center. All procedures were guided only with fluoroscopy, bronchoscopy was not used for guidance. The pulse oxygen saturation (SpO2) and Hugh-Jones classification were used to evaluate the clinical success before and after airway stenting. Technical success was evaluated with fluoroscopy during the procedure and with thorax CT 48 hours after the procedure.RESULTS: The average SpO2 (%) was 71.3 before the procedure and 94.5 after the procedure. Hugh-Jones classification increased 1.4± 0.5 (P < 0.05). All procedures were technically successful and there were no major complications.DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Floroscopy guided airway stenting without using bronchoscopy is an effective procedure for patients having severe dyspnea due to malignant tracheal stenosis.

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