Esophageal Stenting and Stricture Management Techniques
Summary
Esophageal stenting and stricture management encompass a spectrum of endoscopic and device-based interventions designed to restore luminal patency and alleviate dysphagia arising from benign or malignant narrowing of the oesophagus. Approaches include mechanical dilation using bougies or balloons, temporary or permanent deployment of self-expandable stents composed of metal, plastic or biodegradable polymers, and novel bioinspired designs incorporating three-dimensional printing and computational modelling. Selection of a particular technique depends on stricture aetiology, location, length and patient prognosis, with a constant balance between achieving adequate radial force and minimising complications such as stent migration, tissue overgrowth and bleeding. Recent advances focus on enhancing anchorage, optimising biodegradation profiles and integrating local drug delivery, thereby broadening applications from palliation in advanced cancer to treatment of refractory benign strictures.
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Esophageal Stenting and Stricture Management Techniques publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in esophageal stenting and stricture management techniques across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Esophageal stricture: A pathological narrowing of the oesophageal lumen caused by scar tissue or tumour growth.
Self-expandable metallic stent (SEMS): A nitinol or stainless steel device that expands radially to scaffold the oesophagus and maintain patency.
Self-expandable plastic stent (SEPS): A polymer-based stent that self-expands to relieve obstruction, often fully covered to resist tissue ingrowth.
Biodegradable stent: A temporary scaffold manufactured from materials that gradually degrade in vivo, eliminating the need for removal.
Dysphagia: Difficulty swallowing, typically the principal symptom prompting stricture intervention.
References
- Nutritional Status and the Outcomes of Endoscopic Stenting in Benign and Malignant Diseases of Esophagus. Nutrients (2023).
- Innovative Design of a 3D Printed Esophageal Stent Inspired by Nature: Mitigating Migration Challenges in Palliative Esophageal Cancer Therapy. Biomimetics (2024).
- Comparison of fully-covered vs partially covered self-expanding metallic stents for palliative treatment of inoperable esophageal malignancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Cancer (2020).
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