Palliation of malignant esophageal dysphagia using polyflex self expanding plastic stent

The patients with esophageal tumor are suffering from not only the general effects of the malignant disease, but also the inability of swallowing, rapid weight loss, hyper-salivation, fistula and aspiration.

The technological advance in plastic industry has helped to design a new self-expanding plastic stent. The authors discuss their experience with Polyflex and Tygon stents, comparing the results and the survival of the different groups.

We have been using Polyflex stent since the clinical experiments. Over the past five years swallowing ability reconstruction was performed 102 times in 91 patients with Tygon or Polyflex stent. The procedure was done for 37 patients middle third esophageal, 23 patients with cardiac, and seven patients with mediastinal cancer. Sixteen patients had esophago-respiratoric fistula and eight patients had other indication.

The swallowing ability improved greatly and closure of esophago-respiratoric fistulas were observed. Quality of life improves significantly following the palliation. Those patients with esophago-respiratory fistula, the wet coughing disappears, the pneumonia improves and gradually disappears. The number of hospitalized day's decreases. The fear of having a stoma soon goes away and the patient becomes optimistic again, self-supporting and emotional and physical support is not required for a long time.