Is an esophageal stent permanent?
The risk of esophageal stent placement is variable for different type of stents and is known to include esophageal perforation and migration (the stent can move). The permanent stents have a risk of eroding into the surrounding tissues or may result in growth of the tumor into the stent.
How long can you live with an esophageal stent?
In these cases, second stent application was necessary for dysphagia alleviation. Average time of survival in all the patients was 102 days. In our research, the percentage of patients in which any complications occurred as a result of esophageal stenting with coated nitinol prosthesis was 39%.
Are esophageal stents painful?
Conclusions: Two-thirds of patients experience significant pain after esophageal SEMS insertion and analgesics, including opiates, are frequently required. Patients need to be informed and preventive prescription of analgesia should be considered in order to improve quality of life.
What happens after an esophageal stent placement?
You might feel some soreness as the stent expands. Taking painkillers for a few days helps. After a few days, the soreness usually goes away but you might still have some soreness at times. Tell your nurse or doctor if you still have pain.
What are the disadvantages of a stent?
Although major complications are uncommon, stenting carries all of the same risks as angioplasty alone for the treatment of coronary artery disease. The catheter insertion site could become infected or bleed heavily and will likely be bruised.
How long do you stay in the hospital after having a stent put in?
Recovery from angioplasty and stenting is typically brief. Discharge from the hospital is usually 12 to 24 hours after the catheter is removed. Many patients are able to return to work within a few days to a week after a procedure.
How successful are esophageal stents?
Stent migration was observed in 12 patients (34%), but all of the stents were successfully retrieved, with no complications of bleeding, fistulae, or erosions. In another study, Buscaglia and coworkers examined 31 patients who underwent placement of FCSEMS for treatment of esophageal fistulae, leaks, or strictures.
When should an esophageal stent be removed?
The optimal time to remove a stent placed to treat a benign esophageal stricture has been suggested as 4–8 weeks after placement. We electively removed the stent 6–8 weeks after placement for benign disease.
