Treatment of a malignant stricture after esophagojejunostomy by a self-expanding metallic stent

Gianturco self-expanding metallic stents (GSs) were placed across an esophagojejunostomy which had become strictured secondary to recurrent anastomotic gastric cancer. Placement of the GS enabled the patient to take liquid food and swallow saliva, though only for a short period of time. One month after placement, the stented lumen restrictured with a markedly irregular contour. The patient's clinical status deteriorated with eventual occlusion of the stented anastomosis. The patient died of renal insufficiency 80 days after placement of the stent. There are some questions concerning the stability of applying the Gianturco-type bare stent to the digestive tract. In the future, more suitable stents will have to be developed.     

Clinical experience of expandable metallic stent placement for malignant biliary obstruction]

Expandable metallic stents of modified Gianturco design were used in nine cases of malignant biliary obstruction. Stents were placed through a percutaneous transhepatic approach without any severe complications. Initial patency was obtained seven of nine patients. Of these seven patients, recurrent jaundice was observed in three within four weeks. One patient had recurrent stenosis after four months due to ingrowth of the tumor. Although the expandable metallic stent offers several theoretical advantages over currently available stents, a disadvantage is that tumors may grow through the spaces between the legs of the wire or grow over the stent. We found that multi-modal treatment combined with radiation therapy was indispensable to maintain the patency of the stent in malignant biliary obstruction.     

Expandable Metallic Stent Treatment for Malignant Colorectal Strictures

Four patients were treated by placement of an expandable metallic stent (two Gianturco Z-stents, two Ultraflex stents) for malignant colorectal strictures. All four patients were able to defecate after stent placement. Stent migration was recognized in one patient. Two patients suffered from tenesmus after stent placement.     

Expandable metallic stent treatment for malignant colorectal strictures

Four patients were treated by placement of an expandable metallic stent (two Gianturco Z-stents, two Ultraflex stents) for malignant colorectal strictures. All four patients were able to defecate after stent placement. Stent migration was recognized in one patient. Two patients suffered from tenesmus after stent placement.     

Stenosis of the inferior vena cava after liver transplantation: Treatment with gianturco expandable metallic stents

Purpose: Evaluate the efficacy of double Gianturco expandable metallic stents for stenosis of the inferior vena cava (IVC) after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). Methods: Three patients developed severe Budd-Chiari syndrome secondary to suprahepatic caval stenosis after OLT. Percutaneous angioplasty (PTA) of the stenoses was unsuccessful. Therefore double Gianturco expandable metallic stents, connected in tandem, were deployed at the site of the stenoses. Results: One double stent was successfully and definitively deployed in patient 1. Partial dislocation of the upper and lower stents comprising the double stent occurred in patient 2. The double stent initially implanted across the stenosis became displaced in patient 3. The Budd-Chiari syndrome resolved in all three patients who remained asymptomatic during follow-up from 3 to 32 months. Conclusions: Double Gianturco stent deployment is a viable option in patients with anastomotic stenosis of the IVC secondary to OLT when initial treatment with PTA fails. Certain modifications of the stents employed are suggested for the purpose of avoiding technical complications.     

Gianturco self-expanding stents: Clinical experience in the vena cava and large veins

Twenty-five patients with stenosis of the vena cava (21) and other large veins (4) have been treated with self-expanding Gianturco metallic stents. Eighteen patients had superior vena cava syndrome. In 17, the stricture was due to malignant superior vena cava compression recurrent after maximum tolerance radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. In 16 of these patients there was early symptomatic relief. In 1 patient with a benign posttraumatic superior vena cava stricture, the stenosis was not relieved, and occlusion occurred after 1 month. Stenoses associated with dialysis shunts were relieved in 2 other patients. Two malignant and one benign inferior vena cava stenoses were relieved either until death, or in the benign case, for 30 months. One malignant subclavian vein obstruction occluded after 24 h due to stent misplacement and another with extrinsic mediastinal compression remained patent until death, extensive thrombus having been lysed prior to stent placement. The results of this short series suggest that the Gianturco self-expanding stent in the vena cava and large veins is easy and safe to place, and in most cases produces almost immediate palliation of the distressing effects of venous obstruction, often in a preterminal and inoperable patient.     

Application of self-expanding metallic stents to malignant stricture following mechanically stapled esophagojejunostomy: report of two cases

Several types of self-expanding metallic stents (SEMS) were placed in two patients suffering from severe malignant stricture at the site of a mechanically stapled esophagojejunostomy used for the treatment of recurrent gastric cancer. Following modified Gianturco stent placement with limited success in one of the patients, an additional Ultraflex stent (Boston Scientific Co., Boston, USA) failed to expand satisfactorily at the outlet of the second stent. In the other patient, since the proximal end of an additional covered Ultraflex stent (Boston Scientific Co.) inserted through the first one failed to expand satisfactorily at the level of severe stenosis because of the extreme rigidity caused by the mechanical staples, a spiral Z-stent was inserted to dilate it. The cases reported here raise some problems associated with the treatment of severely malignant stricture accompanied by extreme rigidity following mechanically stapled esophagojejunostomy with SEMS.     

Esophageal strictures: treatment with a new design of modified Gianturco stent. Work in progress.

To overcome the drawbacks of the modified Gianturco stent tube with barbs, a new barbless stent tube was constructed. Twenty-two barbless stent tubes 4.5-14.0 cm long were placed with a new introducing tube in 21 patients: 10 stent tubes in 10 patients with recurrent dysphagia after radiation therapy or chemotherapy, 10 in 10 patients with esophageal cancer in whom surgical management was contraindicated, and two in one patient with postoperative benign stricture. No technical failure or procedural complications occurred. After the procedure, all but two patients could ingest most or all foods. In two patients with an esophagorespiratory fistula and one patient with esophageal rupture, the barbless stent tube successfully occluded the fistula and rupture site. The stent tube migrated in one patient. Fifteen patients are surviving, with the stent tubes patent for 3-35 weeks (mean patency, 13 weeks); the six other patients died 7-24 weeks (mean, 16 weeks) after stent placement. It is concluded that barbless stent tubes show promise in the management of dysphagia caused by esophageal strictures.     

Filter-related,thrombotic occlusion of the inferior vena cava treated with a Gianturco stent

The authors report a case of complete thrombotic occlusion of the inferior vena cava (IVC), which occurred 4 weeks after placement of an IVC filter (TrapEase; Cordis, Miami FL). Initial treatment with suction thrombectomy and thrombolysis was ineffective. Percutaneous removal of the filter was unsuccessful because of the long period of implantation. TrapEase filters (Cordis) are easily collapsible because of their symmetric design and composition (nitinol). An expandable metallic Gianturco Z stent (Cook, Bloomington, IN) was used to exclude the filter from the vessel lumen. In cases of persistent filter-related, thrombotic occlusion of the IVC, in which initial treatment has failed, the use of a Gianturco stent (Cook) to exclude the filter from the vessel lumen is a viable treatment option if the filter has a collapsible design.     

Treatment with expandable metallic stent for arterial occlusive disease

Gianturco expandable metallic stents were used in 4 cases with ASO of the iliac artery after PTA for the purpose of the prevention of restenosis. The insertion of stent was succeeded in all 4 cases, and the improvement of clinical symptoms and elevation of ankle pressure index were observed. Follow-up over 3 to 8 months revealed no occlusion and migration of stent. Expandable metallic stent was suggested to be contributable to the treatment of arterial occlusive disease.     

Iliac artery stenosis and occlusion: preliminary results of treatment with Gianturco expandable metallic stents

Ten patients with atherosclerotic stenosis or occlusion of the iliac artery were treated with Gianturco expandable metallic stents. In the five cases of stenosis, only balloon dilation was performed prior to placement of stents. The five patients with occluded arteries were given intraarterial infusions of urokinase before balloon dilation and stent placement. Clinical symptoms improved in all patients, and no technical failures or complications occurred. Doppler ankle-brachial index studies were performed in nine cases, and in all nine cases the indexes improved after stent placement. During follow-up of 2-18 months (mean, 10.3 months), all arteries remained patent. Follow-up angiograms showed slight intimal thickening and no restenosis. Long-term follow-up and more clinical experience will be necessary to evaluate the efficacy of this stent. However, preliminary results suggest that the Gianturco expandable metallic stent is of value in the treatment of arterial occlusive disease.     

Inadvertent duodenal stenting: a case report.

A Gianturco type metallic stent placed in the common bile duct migrated into the duodenum. The device remains in situ, and has caused no ill-effects to date. This raises the possibility that such stents may be deployed in the gastrointestinal tract.     

金属支架治疗恶性肿瘤引起的气管狭窄（附30例分析）

目的 评价金属支架治疗肺癌、食管癌等恶笥肿瘤引起的气管狭窄的可行性和疗效。方法 ３０例肺癌、管癌等恶性肿瘤压迫或侵犯气管，引起气管狭窄和严重的呼吸困难，分别置入自扩型金属支架。１１例患者进行了后续的化学治疗和放射治疗。结果 ３０例狭窄都位于主气管，共置入支架３０个（１２个ＧｉａｎｔｕｒｃｏＺ形支架，８个Ｗａｌｌｓｔｅｎｔ支架１０个Ｕｌｔｒａｆｌｅｘ支架）。所有患者呼吸困难得到立即缓解。１例杖后５６     

Use of the Gianturco self-expanding stent in stenoses of the superior and inferior venae cavae.

Twenty-eight patients with severe superior and inferior vena cava syndromes were treated with self-expandable Gianturco stents. Nineteen patients responded, seven did not respond, and two were unevaluable. Fourteen of the 19 who responded had complete or near complete resolution of their syndrome, and five had a partial remission. Five of the responders did not derive any benefit from stent placement because of additional problems that led to their death within 3 weeks of the stent placement procedure. The main cause for failure was the relatively weak expansile force of the stent. Complications included stent migrations without untoward effects in one patient, stent misplacement in one patient, fracture of the stent wire in two patients, and hemorrhage that could be attributed to the stent in one patient. This uncontrolled study suggests that caval obstruction syndromes in some patients may be effectively palliated with Gianturco stents.     

Recurrent bronchobiliary fistula: unsuccessful management with repeated insertion of metallic biliary stent

This case of a recurrent bronchobiliary fistula was first managed temporarily with repeated metallic biliary stent placement, and finally required surgery. A 65-year-old man, who had undergone a hepatic resection for metastatic colon carcinoma, with a bronchobiliary fistula was treated with metallic biliary stent placement for a stenosis in the common bile duct. During 16 months of follow-up, the biliptysis recurred twice by a recurrent stricture of the common bile duct, which was managed by placement of a second and third stent in a coaxial manner. Three months after placement of the third stent, jaundice developed and the patient finally underwent a Roux-en-Y choledochojejunostomy.     

Migration of Gianturco expandable metallic stents in the upper trachea

Endotracheal expandable metallic stents have been shown to be useful in treating malignant tracheobronchial stenosis. We report two cases of early stent migration in the upper trachea after what appeared to be a successful stent placement. We conclude that care should be taken when placing Gianturco stents across short, extrinsic, stenotic lesions with smooth mucosa located in the upper trachea because they have a tendency to migrate.     

被覆支架成形术在食管癌姑息治疗中的应用

为了对中晚期食管癌进行姑息治疗，作者采用涤纶被覆金属支架置入术对１６例食管癌患者进行了治疗，其中合并食管气管瘘者４例。支架的体部直径为１８ｍｍ或１２ｍｍ，支架两端直径是２２ｍｍ，支架体部和端部的连接处成钝角，以防止支架的移位。全部支架置入术均经口腔在Ｘ线监视下进行。所有病人的支架留置均获成功，未出现技术问题。在有食管气管瘘的４例中，支架置入后症状均得到缓解，所有病人的摄食能力均有不同程度地改善。食     

Stenosis of the vena cava: preliminary assessment of treatment with expandable metallic stents

To test the ability of Gianturco expandable metallic stents to dilate and maintain patency in stenotic venae cavae, stenosis of the inferior vena cava was created in seven mongrel dogs by the percutaneous injection of absolute ethanol into the paravascular retroperitoneal space. Gianturco stents, placed across the stenotic segment, resulted in successful dilatation with improved hemodynamics in four dogs. The stents failed to dilate an occluded vena cava in one dog; in the remaining dogs, stent placement was complicated by early migration and occlusion. Gianturco stents were placed in two patients, one with superior vena cava syndrome and one with retroperitoneal fibrosis that obstructed the inferior vena cava, and resulted in immediate relief of presenting symptoms. These results should be viewed cautiously, but further investigation into the clinical use of the stents is indicated, especially for patients for whom other treatments are difficult.     

Self-expandable metallic stent placement for patients with inoperable esophageal carcinoma: investigation of the influence of prior radiotherapy and chemotherapy

Purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and complications of self-expandable metallic stent placement for patients with inoperable esophageal carcinoma after radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. Materials and methods We obtained data from 19 patients with advanced or recurrent esophageal carcinoma between 1996 and 2000. In all patients, a self-expandable metallic stent was placed under fluoroscopic guidance. Dysphagia before and after stent placement was graded. Complications after stent placement were also evaluated. Data were compared between patients with and without prior radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. Results The procedure was technically successful in all but one patient. The dysphagia grade improved in all patients. No life-threatening complications occurred. The other major complications such as mediastinitis occurred in two patients, and pneumonia and funnel phenomenon occurred in one patient each. These patients had a history of radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy prior to stent placement. Eight of the twelve patients with prior radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy compared with one of seven patients without prior therapy had persistent chest pain, which was a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05). Conclusion Placement of self-expandable metallic stents was effective for patients with advanced or recurrent esophageal carcinoma. However, prior irradiation and/or chemotherapy increased the risk of persistent chest pain after stent placement.     

Trimming a Metallic Biliary Stent Using an Argon Plasma Coagulator

Background Distal migration is one of the common complications after insertion of a covered metallic stent. Stent repositioning or removal is not always possible in every patient. Therefore, trimming using an argon plasma coagulator (APC) may be a good alternative method to solve this problem. Methods Metallic stent trimming by APC was performed in 2 patients with biliary Wallstent migration and in another patient with esophageal Ultraflex stent migration. The power setting was 60–100 watts with an argon flow of 0.8 l/min. Observations The procedure was successfully performed and all distal parts of the stents were removed. No significant collateral damage to the nearby mucosa was observed. Conclusions In a patient with a distally migrated metallic stent, trimming of the stent is possible by means of an APC. This new method may be applicable to other sites of metallic stent migration. This article contains a supplementary video.