| [ Summary ] |
It is wel1 known that clinical use of the expandable metallic stent in malignant esophageal strictures provide favorable results, and have accelerated the widespread use of the stent for this disease. Owing to its excellent characteristics, the expandable metallic stent is also used in duodenal stricture. However, it is difficult to place the stent in the duodenum and at present, stenting is not yet widely performed in the duodenum. No medical literature has reported duodenal stenting in a reasonable number of patients. Furthermore, no reports are available regarding the indications for duodenal stenting, the stents themselves, or complications. Duodenal stenting therefore remains an undeveloped technique and should be performed only with sufficient, inforrmed consent and with great caution. At our medical institution, 32 patients with duodenal stents had satisfactory outcomes. It is evident that the procedure contributes to improvements in QOL. Future efforts will be required to improve the delivery system and the stent itself, in order to lessen the degree of invasiveness of the procedure and to minimize maintenance. |