THE SELF-EXPANDING NITINOL STENT - APPLIC ATION FOR ESOPHAGEAL CANCER

In recent years the implantation of self-expanding metal-stents has be en recommended as a palliative kind of therapy for dysphagia caused by esophageal carcinoma. The metal-stent has a high flexibility, so that it can fit according to the preformed angel of the esophagocardial tr ansition and does not cause a feeling of pressure when placed in the c ervical position. From July 1992 to February 1995 in the surgical depa rtment of the University of Bonn 21 patients have got a self-expanding Nitinol stent. No dislocation, bleeding or perforation occured. The d ysphagia improved in all patients. The letality rate was 9.5 %, the me an survival rate 4,6 month. The growth of the tumor through the mesh o f the stent was a problem which occurred from the tenth week onwards a fter implantation. Even when the self-expanding metal-stent does not s olve all problems, it enlarges the spectrum of palliative kinds of the rapy.