Simultaneous Placement of Multiple Airway Stents in Three Patients With Extensive Airway Stenosis: A Case Series

• Published in: Respirology case reports Vol. 13; no. 8; pp. e70311 - n/a
• Main Authors: Toyama, Shogo, Fujita, Kohei, Fujimoto, Naoki, Okada, Yuta, Yoshimura, Saiki, Tanizawa, Kiminobu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01.08.2025; John Wiley & Sons, Inc
• Subjects: Airway management; airway stenosis; airway stent; Bronchoscopy; Cancer therapies; Case reports; Case Series; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Consent; Dyspnea; flexible bronchoscopy; Hospitals; Local anesthesia; Oxygen saturation; Oxygen therapy; Patients; Pneumonia; self‐expanding metallic stents; Stents; Thoracic surgery; Tomography; flexible bronchoscopy; airway stenosis; airway stent; self‐expanding metallic stents
• ISSN: 2051-3380; 2051-3380
• DOI: 10.1002/rcr2.70311

ABSTRACT Airway stenting is a critical therapeutic intervention for managing airway obstruction caused by both malignant and benign conditions. While Dumon Y‐stent placement is sometimes indicated for patients with extensive airway narrowing, facilities capable of performing rigid bronchoscopy are limited. In such cases, the use of multiple self‐expanding metallic stents (SEMS) via flexible bronchoscopy under local anaesthesia presents a valuable alternative. We report three cases in which multiple airway stents were placed simultaneously using this approach. Case 1 involved a patient with stage IV squamous cell lung cancer, in whom the primary tumour caused extrinsic tracheal compression and direct invasion of the right main bronchus. Cases 2 and 3 were diagnosed clinically with tracheomalacia. In all three cases, the placement of multiple SEMS successfully relieved airway stenosis, improved oxygenation, and reduced dyspnoea, without major complications. These cases support the potential of simultaneous multiple SEMS placement as a safe and effective therapeutic option for patients with extensive airway narrowing. We report three cases in which multiple self‐expanding metallic stents (SEMS) were deployed using flexible bronchoscopy under local anaesthesia. In all cases, stent placement successfully relieved airway stenosis, improved oxygenation, and alleviated dyspnoea without major complications. These cases support the potential role of simultaneous multiple SEMS placement as a safe and effective therapeutic option for patients with extensive airway narrowing.