TREATMENT OF REFRACTORY STRICTURES OF DIGESTIVE TRACT WITH AXIOS STENT

Aims:

Axios stent was originally designed as a luminal apposition stent. It is widely usely for EUS- guided drainage of intrabdominal collections. However its endoluminal use may broaden new indications such as refractory strictures of digestive tract

Aim:

To describe initial experience of endoluminal axios stent in a series of patients with refractory stenosis tract (those with previous failure of endoscopic or surgical treatment) of the digestive tract.

Methods:

Four patients with short refractory stenosis participated in this study. Etiology and stricture location were: a postsurgical esophageal stenosis, two pyloric peptic stenosis, and a rectal stenosis. Four steps were needed to perform this technique: I introduction of stent through enteral stenosis. ii Distal flap deployment under radiological control iii Pulling of distal anchor over the stenosis and iv Deployment of proximal anchor stent under endoscopic control. The primary outcomes were technical and clinical success, and safety.

Results:

Technical and clinical success was obtained in all the patients. The procedure was well tolerated. There were no immediate complication 30 days after the procedure but the patient with rectal stenosis due to Crohn's disease developed a rectal abscess. During follow-up, no migration, bleeding or stent obstruction were observed. Stent withdrawal was performed in 2 patients according to clinical needs without any incidence.

Conclusions:

Endoluminal use of Axios stent is a safe, well tolerated and efficacious method for the treatment of short refractory stenosis of digestive tract.