The (Hour)glass Half-Full: Modified Silicone Hourglass Stents for the Treatment of Central Airway Obstruction

• DOI: 10.7759/cureus.15501
• Publication Date: 2021-06-07T16:12:21Z
• Authors: Bruce Sabath; Roberto F Casal
• Keywords: 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Oncology

Central airway obstruction often presents with airway narrowing of differing internal diameters. Conventional straight stents do not fit these airways well and are prone to migration. We present a series of cases where hourglass-shaped silicone stents were customized intra-operatively to fit airway obstructions of both malignant and non-malignant etiologies and to improve patient performance status. Modified hourglass stents are a versatile tool to manage inoperable airway obstruction with unique anatomical characteristics.