Endotracheal placement of balloon-expanded stents: an experimental study in rabbits.

The authors implanted balloon-expanded stents in the trachea of 10 rabbits for 1 day to 6 months. Follow-up included chest radiography, clinical examination, light microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Pneumothorax occurred in two cases after placement, marked stridor due to mucus plugging in all cases, signs of infection in three cases (two of which developed into pneumonitis), compression of the upper stent end in two cases, and moderate to severe mucus plugging in all cases. Microscopically, none of the stents was completely covered with epithelium even at 6 months. The high rate of complications may be a result of the rigid construction, which does not allow tracheal movement or adaptation of the stent shape to the shape of the trachea.