Int J Gastrointest Interv.  2022 Apr;11(2):72-76. 10.18528/ijgii210029.

Safety and efficacy of esophageal stents for esophageal anastomotic strictures: A 10-year single-center experience

• Bilal S
• Saeed SM
• Siddique Z
• Saqib M
• Shahid S
• Yusuf MA

• KMID: 2529421
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.18528/ijgii210029

Abstract

Background
The aim of this study was to determine whether esophageal stent placement in recurrent and refractory post-esophagectomy anastomotic strictures improves clinical outcomes and prolongs the intervals between re-interventions.
Methods
This retrospective, observational, single-center study analyzed data from all patients who underwent esophageal stent placement for symptomatic benign post-esophagectomy anastomotic strictures from 2009 to 2019. The primary outcome was technical and clinical success. The secondary outcomes were stent-related complications and re-intervention duration and rates.
Results
Twenty-eight patients underwent esophageal stent placement for post-esophagectomy benign anastomotic strictures. The technical success rate was 96.4%. The clinical success rates at 4 weeks, 12 weeks, and 1 year were 100%, 69.23%, and 72.72%, respectively. Serious stent-related complications occurred in two patients (7.1%), while minor adverse events were noted in 11 patients (39.28%). The rate of stricture recurrence with a mean dysphagia-free interval of 17 weeks after stent placement was 64.28%. The rate of luminal patency with a stent was 73.33% at 12 months.
Conclusion
Stent insertion is an effective and safe treatment modality for anastomotic esophageal strictures. Long-term remission of the stricture, more luminal patency, and an improved dysphagia score were observed, but the findings need to be confirmed through multivariate analysis.

Keyword

Benign strictures; Esophageal anastomotic strictures; Esophageal stents; Post-esophagectomy strictures; Refractory anastomotic strictures