Drug-eluting stents (DES) reduce restenosis rates compared to bare-metal stents. Most trials using DES enrolled selected patient and lesion subtypes, and primary endpoint focused on angiographic metrics or relatively short-term outcomes. When DES are used in broader types of lesions and patients, important differences may emerge in long-term outcomes between ...

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of plastic polyurethane stents compared with nasolacrimal cryoplasty in the management of epiphora in adults. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients (N = 37; mean age, 64 years; range, 34-86 y; six men, 31 women) with severe epiphora with partial/complete obstruction of the nasolacrimal system were randomized ...

OBJECTIVES: Self-expanding metal stents (SEMS) are increasingly being used to treat malignant colorectal obstruction. However, complications have been reported in up to 50% of patients. There is limited information on long-term outcomes of these patients. The aim of this study was to retrospectively assess the long-term clinical success of SEMS ...

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Genous(TM) endothelial progenitor cell capturing stent vs. the Taxus Liberté paclitaxel-eluting stent in patients with de novo coronary lesions with a high-risk of coronary restenosis. We randomly assigned 193 patients with lesions carrying a high risk of restenosis to have the ...

BACKGROUND: We present our initial experience with a new biodegradable (BD) esophageal stent in two patients, one for a therapy-resistant benign esophageal stricture, and the other as a temporary measure during curative radiotherapy for oesophageal carcinoma. METHODS: The BD stents need to be loaded into a conventional pull-back delivery system ...

Incomplete endothelialization has been found to be associated with late stent thrombosis, a rare but devastating phenomenon, more frequent after drug-eluting stent implantation. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has 10 times greater resolution than intravascular ultrasound and thus appears to be a valuable modality for the assessment of stent strut coverage. ...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of endoscopic biliary stenting on common bile duct stones. METHODS: Fifty patients with choledocholithiasis were treated with endoscopic biliary stenting and followed. The early and late outcome was assessed. RESULTS: The procedure was successful in all patients and there was only one patient with mild ...

AIMS: Dedicated bifurcation stents should facilitate deployment and improve coverage of bifurcational lesions. We used optical coherence tomography (OCT) to assess bifurcation lesions treated with a dedicated stent implanted in the side branch (SB) in conjunction with drug eluting stents in the main vessel (MV) in a culotte-like fashion. METHODS ...

We used intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) to assess the efficacy of the Cappella Sideguard stent system for treating coronary bifurcation lesions. Treatment of bifurcation lesions is associated with restenosis at the side branch (SB) ostium, presumably due to inadequate coverage or stent-vessel wall malapposition. To address these limitations, the Sideguard stent ...

AIM: To evaluate the effects of tolterodine extended release (ER) and alfuzosin for the treatment of Double-J stent-related lower urinary tract symptoms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-two patients (33 men and 19 women; mean age 52.0 years) who underwent insertion of a Double-J stent after urological surgery were prospectively randomized into ...

Refractory variceal bleeding is associated with a high mortality. Existing salvage techniques such as transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) and balloon tamponade (BT) have important limitations and may not be appropriate for all patients. To evaluate the safety and efficacy of a novel removable self-expanding metal stent in the management ...

BACKGROUND: Placement of self-expanding stents is an effective palliation for dysphagia in non-resectable oesophageal or proximal gastric cancer. The aim of this analysis was to assess the efficacy of temporary stent placement for dysphagia relief during neo-adjuvant treatment for locally advanced disease. METHODS: A total of 38 patients scheduled for ...

BACKGROUND: Long-term outcomes after stenting of an unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) with drug-eluting stents have not been addressed adequately despite the growing popularity of this procedure. METHODS AND RESULTS: j-Cypher is a multicenter prospective registry of consecutive patients undergoing sirolimus-eluting stent implantation in Japan. Among 12 824 patients ...

Intraoperative radiation therapy (RT) may improve outcomes after pancreaticoduodenectomy for periampullary cancer; however, there is a 20% risk of late portomesenteric venous obstruction. This retrospective study evaluated the percutaneous treatment of portomesenteric venous obstruction that occurred a mean of 10 months after pancreaticoduodenectomy and intraoperative RT. Five patients with medically ...

Aim:  Premature discontinuation of antiplatelet therapy is an independent predictor of late stent thrombosis. We sought to determine the prevalence and predictors of premature discontinuation of antiplatelet therapy after drug-eluting stent implantation among patients in Asia. Methods:  A total of 207 consecutive patients who underwent drug-eluting stent implantation at our ...

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate safety and patients' comfort by using the ureteral stent symptom questionnaire. Ureteral stents are used to provide upper urinary-tract drainage. METHODS: A total of 133 JJ-ureteral stents with and without antireflux-membrane valve as consecutive referrals for therapy of hydronephrosis have been inserted. Four weeks after insertion of ...

BACKGROUND: Radical resection of primary tracheal tumors may be challenging when more than one-half of the tracheal length is concerned. The present study evaluated the use of cryopreserved aortic allografts (CAAs) to replace long tracheal segments. METHODS: Sixteen adult minipigs underwent tracheal replacement with a CAA. A silicone stent was ...

BACKGROUND: Critical limb ischemia is an increasingly common condition that has high surgical morbidity and limited non-surgical options. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the use of silicon carbide-coated Motion stents, as compared to reported data for bare metal stents, in elderly patients with infrapopliteal artery stenoses causing critical limb ischemia after failed ...

OBJECTIVES: Stent thrombosis is a life-threatening complication associated with sudden death and acute myocardial infarction. Histopathologic studies have linked the occurrence of very late stent thrombosis in drug-eluting stents (DES) with delayed endothealisation and stent malapposition. Our aim was to investigate if late stent malapposition in DES could be predicted ...

OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical outcome of unselected patients undergoing drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation on bifurcated lesions using a "provisional T And small Protrusion (TAP)" stenting strategy. METHODS: Consecutive patients undergoing DES implantation on one major bifurcation lesion were treated by main-vessel (MV) stenting, followed (if needed) by side-branch (SB) ...

The RESOLUTE trial examined the safety and efficacy of a next-generation zotarolimus-eluting coronary stent, Resolute (Medtronic CardioVascular Inc., Santa Rosa, California). Revascularization benefits associated with current drug-eluting stents are often diminished in the presence of complex coronary lesions and in certain patient cohorts. Resolute uses a new proprietary polymer coating ...

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether post-operative ureteral stenting is necessary after ureteroscopic lithotripsy for the treatment of middle and distal ureteral calculi. METHODS: The trial was carried out in the Department of Urology of West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China, between May 2005 and May 2006. A total of 110 ...

OBJECTIVE: Endoscopic therapy with pancreatic duct (PD) stenting in painful chronic pancreatitis is effective at reducing pain. Few studies have compared response to different PD stent diameters. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed the effect of PD stent diameter on hospitalization for abdominal pain in chronic pancreatitis. METHODS: An existing ...

Although the technical success rate of endoscopic stenting has been defined, there is a paucity of outcome data. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term results of colorectal stenting for both malignant and benign disease. A retrospective review was conducted of patients who underwent stenting at a ...

We evaluated the effectiveness of a double-layered polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-covered nitinol stent in the palliative treatment of malignant esophageal strictures. A double-layered PTFE-covered nitinol stent was designed to reduce the propensity to migration of conventional covered stent. The stent consists of an inner PTFE-covered stent and an outer uncovered nitinol stent ...

Spontaneous dissection of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) is exceedingly rare. Treatment options range from observation to anticoagulation to open surgery or endovascular repair. We present our experience to date in the management of isolated SMA dissections. A retrospective review of the vascular surgery and radiology databases from 1998 to ...

Self-expandable metal stents (SEMS) have been mostly reserved for palliation of dysphagia because of advanced esophageal cancer. Fully covered SEMS (FCSEMS) (ALIMAXX-E, Alveolus Inc, Charlotte, NC, USA) offer the choice of removability if complications occur or maximum therapeutic benefit is achieved. To our knowledge, their use has not been studied ...

BACKGROUND: Stenting a bifurcation lesion is technically challenging. No study has reported the clinical outcome of a dedicated bifurcation stent in China. We aimed to analyze the safety and clinical outcome of a novel side branch ostial stent (BIGUARD) stent in treating coronary bifurcation lesions. METHODS: Forty-seven patients were enrolled ...

BACKGROUND: Self-expanding metal stent has emerged as an effective treatment option for malignant gastroesophageal junction obstruction. However, data on the clinicopathologic factors associated with stent patency are still lacking. AIM: To investigate the long-term clinical outcomes and prognostic factors, including treatment modalities, affecting stent patency in patients with malignant gastroesophageal ...

BACKGROUND: Malignant gastric outlet obstruction (GOO) leads to malnutrition and limits quality of life. Gastrojejunostomy has been the traditional treatment for GOO. Recently, the results of releasing duodenal obstruction with self-expandable metal stents (SEMS) have been encouraging. METHODS: After the exclusion of 13 patients with gastrojejunal or jejunal strictures and ...

BACKGROUND: Although in clinical practice endovascular therapy (EVT) with a nitinol stent for femoro-popliteal artery (FPA) lesions has been widely applied for TASC II A/B lesions, primary patency beyond 2 years remains unknown, as do the factors associated with restenosis. METHODS AND RESULTS: A prospectively maintained database that included 189 ...

BACKGROUND: Stent thrombosis is a rare but devastating complication of coronary stent implantation. The incidence and potential predictors were assessed in a "real world" single center. OBJECTIVES: To examine whether socioeconomic status indeed affects the occurrence of stent thrombosis. METHODS: We searched our database for cases of "definite" stent thrombosis ...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with hematoporphyrins has emerged as promising treatment for nonresectable cholangiocarcinoma in several prospective observational studies and two randomized studies. This review describes the mechanism of action of PDT, gives an overview of clinical experience in cholangiocarcinoma and summarizes the results published in 2007 and ...

Our aim was to determine key characteristics of stents commonly implanted in the aorta through bench testing and to describe our technique and acute results in patients weighing <30 kg. Despite the increasing use of stents for interventional treatment for coarctation of the aorta (CoA) in larger patients, use of ...

OBJECTIVE: To further characterize the kinking forces and degree of curvature that result in failure of various stents, as malignant obstruction of the ureter causes failure of about half of ureteric stents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Several stents (Silhouette 4.6 F and 6 F, Applied Medical, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA; Sof-Curl ...

PURPOSE: Stomal stenosis in patients with catheterizable channels can be a difficult problem that is managed by surgical revision or dilation. The L stent is a short, knotted catheter that lies flush with skin. The stent is used for any stomal narrowing, typically overnight for several days. The stent bridges ...

PURPOSE: To evaluate temporary double J ureteric stenting (TDJS) as a test to diagnose ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO) in equivocal cases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and nine consecutive adult patients with loin pain and ipsilateral equivocal UPJO (EqUPJO) on radioisotope diuretic renogram (RDR) were enrolled in the present study. ...

OBJECTIVES: To review our experience using the Kidney Internal Splint/Stent (KISS) (Cook Medical, Bloomington, IN) to provide drainage after pyeloplasty. The KISS combines the attributes of nephrostomy tube diversion and anastomotic stent in a single tube. Since its initial description in 1993, additional reports on its use are limited. METHODS: ...

Many patients with malignant gastroduodenal obstruction have an unresectable primary lesion and distant metastases, which may prompt palliative management to allow the patient to eat and to improve the quality of life. Intraluminal metallic stent implantation (MSI) under fluoroscopic guidance has been reported to be an effective option for symptomatic ...

BACKGROUND: There is a hypothesis that advanced neointimal stent coverage may protect against stent thrombosis. In the present study, differences in neointimal growth and prevalence of in-stent thrombus between paclitaxel- and sirolimus-eluting stent (PES and SES) were evaluated by optical coherence tomography (OCT). METHODS AND RESULTS: Follow-up angiographic and OCT ...

We present the first reported complication of the Silhouette, (Applied Medical, Santa Margarita, CA) 4 Fr. soft, nitinol coil-reinforced double-J ureteral stent, that is specifically related to its unique construct and design. These novel ureteral stents were placed in a medically unstable patient with bilateral partially obstructing proximal ureteral calculi. ...

BACKGROUND: Oesophageal anastomotic leakage is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. The aim of the present study was to assess the feasibility of using temporary self-expanding plastic stents to treat postoperative oesophageal leaks. METHODS: Patients with anastomotic leakage after abdominothoracic oesophagectomy treated by endoscopic insertion of self-expanding plastic stents between ...

BACKGROUND: The Y-shaped structure of the carinal bifurcation causes difficulties in the treatment of carinal stenosis. We describe a new Y-shaped silicone stent, called the Natural Y stent. We investigated its clinical efficacy through a review of patients with benign carinal stenosis who undewent consecutive Natural Y stent placement. METHODS: ...

AIMS: The study investigates the safety and efficacy of primary stenting of infrapopliteal lesions using the Chromis Deep stent (Invatec, Roncadelle, Italy) in patients presenting with critical limb ischaemia (CLI). METHODS AND RESULTS: Fifty patients with infrapopliteal arterial occlusive disease were included in the study from March until November 2007. ...

Feasibility and efficacy of sequentially performed endovascular stenting and Iodine-125 brachytherapy for malignant superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) were evaluated. Thirty-four patients with malignant SVCS caused by NSCLC underwent sequential treatment of endovascular stenting and Iodine-125 brachytherapy. SVCS was diagnosed in all patients by CT images or vena-cavography. Pathology diagnosis ...

AIM: To examine the technical feasibility and clinical outcomes of the endoscopic insertion of a self-expandable metal stent (SEMS) for the palliation of a malignant anastomotic stricture caused by recurrent gastric cancer. METHODS: The medical records of patients, who had obstructive symptoms caused by a malignant anastomotic stricture after gastric ...

BACKGROUND: Perioperative nutrition remains a significant problem in patients undergoing neoadjuvant treatment for esophageal cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of esophageal stenting, feeding tube placement, or observation among esophageal cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A review of our prospectively maintained database ...

BACKGROUND: The majority of the currently available metal stents are partially covered to reduce migration risk. However, one of the remaining issues is tissue ingrowth through the uncovered stent parts. OBJECTIVE: To determine efficacy, recurrent dysphagia, and complications of a fully covered stent, ie, the Alimaxx-E stent, and to compare ...

BACKGROUND: The placement of self-expanding metal stents (SEMS) is a safe and effective definitive procedure for the palliation of malignant colorectal obstruction. In this study, the clinical outcomes, including the technical and clinical success rates, and the risk factors associated with the long-term outcomes of palliative SEMS were evaluated. METHODS: ...

CONCLUSION: Prolene is cheap, effective, and readily available in almost all operating theaters. It might be used successfully in endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy and is promising as an alternative to silicone stent intubations, especially in settings with limited resources. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical efficacy and results of stenting with polypropylene (Prolene; ...