HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Author home page(s): Antti Korpela Pertti Aarnio Ari Harjula Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Korpela, A. Articles by Harjula, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Korpela, A. Articles by Harjula, A.

Ann Thorac Surg 1998;66:1772-1776
© 1998 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

---

Original articles: general thoracic

Comparison of tissue reactions in the tracheal mucosa surrounding a bioabsorbable and silicone airway stents

^a Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland

Accepted for publication May 10, 1998.

Address reprint requests to Dr Korpela, Department of Surgery, Päijät-Häme Central Hospital, Keskussairaalankatu 7, 15850 Lahti, Finland

Background. Treatment of tracheobronchial stenosis is problematic. Conservative methods include stenting the stenotic area, but an ideal stent has not yet been developed. Bioabsorbable airway stents offer benefits; the extraction of the device is unnecessary, and the airway preserves its normal function after stent resorption. The aim of this study was to examine the suitability of self-reinforced poly-L-lactide as a material for an airway stent.

Methods. A spiral airway stent made of 0.7-mm wire of self-reinforced poly-L-lactide was implanted operatively in 9 rabbits intratracheally; silicone stents served as controls.

Results. Silicone stents had a tendency to become stenosed with encrustation material and to develop a hyperplastic polyp at both ends. Self-reinforced poly-L-lactide stents were well tolerated and caused no foreign body reaction, and they had a tendency to penetrate into the tracheal wall. They had disappeared at the end of the follow-up of 10 months.

Conclusions. This experimental study showed that bioabsorbable self-reinforced poly-L-lactide is a promising material for an airway stent for treatment of airway stenosis.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				Y. Saito, K. Minami, M. Kobayashi, Y. Nakao, H. Omiya, H. Imamura, N. Sakaida, and A. Okamura New tubular bioabsorbable knitted airway stent: Biocompatibility and mechanical strength J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg., January 1, 2002; 123(1): 161 - 167. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. C. Robey, T. Valimaa, H. S. Murphy, P. Tormala, D. J. Mooney, and R. A. Weatherly Use of Internal Bioabsorbable PLGA "Finger-Type" Stents in a Rabbit Tracheal Reconstruction Model Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg, August 1, 2000; 126(8): 985 - 991. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]