The ins and outs of pediatric airway stents

Abstract

Little is written about the hands-on management of pediatric endobronchial airway stents. An up-to-date, comprehensive, and practical approach to stenting in the child's airway is provided based on over a decade of pediatric stent experience, with emphasis on indications, stent choice, stent insertion techniques, postoperative management, complications, and stent removal. In cases of severe tracheobronchial malacia or stenosis refractory to conservative treatment, airway stents offer the otolaryngologist a potentially life-saving alternative to stabilize the emergent pediatric airway.