Review Article
The Use of Self-Expanding Plastic Stents in the Management of Oesophageal Leaks and Spontaneous Oesophageal Perforations
Table 1
Summary of the literature regarding Polyflex stents and anastomotic leakage.
| Reference | Study | Patients | Leak site | Stent | Timing after diagnosis | Placement success | Immediate leak occlusion | % healing | Complications | Outcome |
| Gelbmann [15] | Case series | 5 | OG anastomosis | Plastic | 13–65 days (too unwell for surgery) | 100% | 60% 40% ↓ leakage | 80% | | 20% mortality (multiorgan failure) 10% further stent | Hunerbein [16] | Stent versus conservative | 199 stent 10 no stent | OG anastomosis | Plastic | Immediate (2-3 days) | 100% | 90% | 100% | None | Stent group: earlier oral intake, shorter hospital stay, and 0% mortality | Langer [17] | Case series | 20 | OG and OJ anastomosis | Plastic | Immediate | 90% | 85% | 90% | Stent misplacement in 10% increased dehiscence and required surgery | Stent migration and dislocation 10% | Schubert [18] | Case series | 12 | OG anastomosis | Plastic | Immediate | 100% | 92% | 92% | Stent migration 17% | All healed One persistent leak closed with endoclip | Repici [19] | Case report | 1 | OJ anastomosis | Plastic | Delayed—persistent fistula (39 days) | 100% | 100% | 100% | None | Stent removed 3 weeks Well | Dai [7] | Case series | 22 | OG anastomosis | Plastic | Immediate (2.5 days) | 100% | 95% | 95% | 23% migration | 5% thoracotomy for persistent leak 5% mortality 5% dilatation of anastomotic stricture |
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