Use Of Silicone Stents Research Articles

Use of silicone stents in the management of airway problems

We report the use of a silicone robber T tube for the management of complex airway problems in 47 patients during the past 15 years. The tube has been used for palliation in 11 patients with malignant obstruction of the airway, and as the sole treatment or as an adjunct to operation in 36 other patients. Based on the satisfactory results with the use of these tubes, we have utilized silicone stents in the bronchus and bifurcation prostheses at the carina. In the past, we have inserted the T tubes through a tracheostomy stoma. More recently, we have used a technique for endoscopic placement of the T tubes in which the horizontal limb is pulled out through the tracheostomy stoma. This technique facilitates introduction of the tube and maintains the airway during insertion. The use of silicone stents provides an important tool in the management of complicated airway problems, and we anticipate their increased use in the future.

Total and subtotal replacement of the common bile duct: effect of transhepatic silicone tube stenting.

The effect of silicone tube stenting on the outcome of total and subtotal replacement of the bile duct with autologous vein was investigated in experiments performed in pigs. All but one of the unstented animals developed dense strictures of the extrahepatic ductal system. This complication was abolished by the use of silicone stents passed transhepatically. The vein autografts in the stented animals underwent progressive shortening with elongation of the distal common bile duct so that beyond four months only one suture line was encountered, and no recognisable venous element was detectable on histological examination. Apart from minor dilatation of the intrahepatic biliary tree encountered in some animals, all the surviving stented animals progressed well and had normal serial liver function tests.