The use of self-expanding metal stents in the cervical esophagus

A case series was conducted at our institution on the the use of self-expanding metal stents (SEMS) in the cervical esophagus and their tolerability. Departmental records identified 20 consecutive stents placed in the cervical esophagus of 12 patients at our institution. There were 6 men and 6 women, mean age 67.2 years (range, 47.6–91.6 years). Ten patients had either primary or recurrent malignant disease and two had benign disease; a recalcitrant stricture at the oesophago-gastric anastomosis following oesophagectomy and a tracheo-oesophageal fistula secondary to tracheomalacia. Three patients received multiple stents on separate occasions requiring 2, 3, and 6 stents. Nineteen stents were placed radiologically with fluoroscopic guidance via a per-oral route under conscious sedation, and one was placed under direct endoscopic visualisation. Patients were followed up until death or to date. All stents were successfully deployed across the strictures. There was no foreign body sensation (FBS) reported after 16 of the procedures (80%). One patient reported transient FBS. Three stents were removed without complication because of symptoms; the endoscopically placed stent which was within 5 mm of cricopharyngeus and two which were inadvertently deployed across cricopharyngeus. There were no other significant complications related to the stent or procedure. All patients reported significant improvement in dysphagia with dysphagia scores improving from a mean of 3.1/4 to 0.9/4 (Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-ranks test, P = 0.0158). One stent migrated in a patient with malignant disease; however, all 6 stents placed across the benign stricture migrated. Hence our case series concludes that SEMS can be safely and effectively deployed in the cervical esophagus