Outcomes of Temporary Partially Covered Stent Placement for Benign Tracheobronchial Stenosis

To evaluate the intermediate outcomes of temporary partially covered tracheobronchial stenting in patients with benign tracheobronchial stenosis. We conducted a retrospective study of patients with benign tracheobronchial stenosis who underwent stent placement. All stents were removed approximately 3 months after placement. Respiratory function was assessed using the visual analogue scale (VAS) and Karnofsky performance status scale (KPS) before and after stent placement. The lumen diameters of the stenotic lesions were measured using chest computed tomography (CT) and compared between before stent placement and after stent removal. A total of 51 stents were successfully placed in consecutive 51 patients with benign tracheobronchial stenosis. No serious complications occurred. The mean VAS and KPS scores significantly improved after stent removal (6.291 +/- A 0.495 and 25.352 +/- A 10.533, respectively) compared with those before stent placement (1.493 +/- A 0.504 and 60.140 +/- A 16.344, respectively; P < 0.05). The mean lumen transverse diameters of the stenotic site in trachea and main bronchus after stent removal (17.235 +/- A 3.457 and 8.993 +/- A 0.961 mm; 1 month post-removal; 16.353 +/- A 4.132 and 8.357 +/- A 1.082 mm; 6 months post-removal) were significantly larger than those before stent placement (7.876 +/- A 2.351 and 2.143 +/- A 0.770 mm, respectively; P < 0.05). However, the mean lumen diameters between 1 and 6 months after stent removal had no significant difference (P > 0.05). Temporary partially covered stenting may be a safe and effective treatment for benign tracheobronchial stenosis.