A stent is an implant placed inside the airway to keep the airways open and to prevent narrowing or blockage from recurring after a narrowing (stenosis) in the windpipe (trachea) or bronchus has been widened, or an obstruction has been removed.
Displacement of the stent (migration) and blockage of its lumen by secretions are possible side effects. For these reasons, patients often need to come to the hospital after stent placement, and bronchoscopic procedures may be performed. Sometimes it can lead to serious consequences such as ulcers (sores) and fistulas (abnormal connections to various organs) in the wall of the trachea or bronchus. Rarely, after long-term use, the stent may fill with infected secretions and cause infection.
The stent is placed under general anesthesia with the help of a rigid bronchoscope. The stent is delivered through the rigid bronchoscope, which is passed through your mouth into the trachea, to the area where it is needed. Before the stent is placed, the narrowing or blockage must already have been cleared, again by means of the rigid bronchoscope.