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Use of a nitinol stent to treat dysphagia post-laryngopharyngectomy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 March 2006

Patrick Sheahan
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9,Ireland.
Michael A. Walsh
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9,Ireland.

Abstract

Permanent dysphagia occurring after laryngectomy or laryngopharyngectomy is uncommon, and when it does occur, can usually be treated by periodic dilatation under general anaesthesia. Occasionally, however, conservative treatment is insufficient, and patients require long-term feeding via a gastrostomy or jejunostomy tube. We describe the case of a man with an anastamotic stricture post-pharyngectomy who underwent insertion of a nitinol stent across the stricture for treatment of dysphagia. The patient’s swallowing was significantly improved in the short-term, however, ultimately, florid granulation tissue formation led to obstruction of the stent and a disappointing long-term result. This, to our knowledge, is the first documentation of the use of a stent to treat dysphagia in a patient post-laryngectomy or pharyngolaryngectomy.

Type
Other
Copyright
© Royal Society of Medicine Press Limited 2003

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