[Stenting central airways with tracheobronchial stents].

Tracheobronchial stenting is indicated in the palliative care of cancer patients with central airways obstruction due to primary chest and neck tumors, metastatic and congenital lesions of these organs. Stents, tubular prostheses, solid or wired, removable or not, of different shape, size, material, are used to treat airway obstructions due to endobronchial overgrowing, infiltration, compression, or relaxation of the airway walls. Silicone stents are well tolerated and removable. Their limitations are: the mucociliary clearance impairment, thick walls, displacement possibility. Rigid bronchoscopy is required for insertion of the prosthesis. Metal stents allow mucociliary transport, exactly match the trachea or bronchus dimension and are insertable with the bronchofiberscope. Attempts of self-absorbed stents application in the course of tracheobronchomalacia and post surgical bronchial wall collapse are being made. The choice of the type of the stent used is made on the basis of personnel experience, type and localisation of the obstruction, clinical status and accompanying diseases.