Purpose: To investigate the frequency of esophageal and gastroduodenal stent migration and the fate of such stents.
Materials and methods: The authors studied five types of covered metal stents. Type A stents were nonretrievable polyurethane-covered stents with shouldered ends (n = 169), type B stents were retrievable polyurethane-covered stents with shouldered ends (n = 62), type C stents were retrievable polyurethane-covered stents with flared ends (n = 72), type D stents were retrievable polytetrafluoroethylene-covered stents with shouldered ends (n = 369), and type E stents were separated stents (n = 216). Types A-D stents were esophageal stents, and the type E stent was a gastroduodenal stent. Stents were placed in 888 patients with either benign (n = 43) or malignant (n = 845) causes of stricture. The rate of stent migration was analyzed relative to completeness of migration, the cause of obstruction, stent type, and stent placement location. The fate of migrated stents and the treatment of patients were evaluated.
Results: Stent migration occurred in 70 of the 888 patients (7.9%). Migration occurred in 11 of the 43 patients (25%) with benign cause of strictures and 591 of the 845 patients (7.0%) with malignant cause. The migration rates for types A, B, C, D, and E stents were 10%, 4.8%, 24%, 7.3% and 2.8%, respectively. Of the 70 migrated stents, 45 had complete migration and 25 had partial migration. The anastomotic sites were the areas most commonly associated with migration (16%), but this was not statistically significant. Forty of the 70 migrated stents were removed with retrieval devices under fluoroscopic guidance because they were not passed with stool and possibility of complications related to migrated stents. The remaining 30 stents exited via the rectum (n = 15), remained in the body without complications (n = 12), or were surgically removed because they caused complicated intestinal obstructions (n = 3).
Conclusion: The overall migration rate for esophageal and gastroduodenal stents was 7.9%. Most migrated stents were removed nonsurgically, exited the body spontaneously, or remained in the body in an uncomplicated state. Surgical stent removal was necessary in three patients (4.3%) due to complicated intestinal obstructions.