Endoprosthetics for the treatment of esophageal leaks and fistula

Esophageal leaks, perforations, and fistula represent life-threatening complications, with a reported mortality of 12%-50% in the surgical literature. Endoscopic treatment by stenting has been reported in a large number of patients with good outcomes. The principles of this method might be described with the acronym DCWR (drain, close, water-tightness, and remove). Briefly, after the drainage of associated collections, the insertion of a self-expandable esophageal stent across the leakage region enables diversion of the esophageal contents from the wound cavity.

Source: Techniques in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy - April 14, 2014 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Arnaud Lemmers, Pierre Eisendrath, Jacques Devière, Olivier Le Moine Source Type: research