Long-term efficacy and safety of the Dumon stent for treatment of benign airway stenosis

Background The long-term efficacy of the Dumon stent in the treatment of benign airway stenosis is unclear. Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of the Dumon stent in patients with benign airway stenosis. Methods We retrospectively reviewed patients with benign airway stenosis who were treated with a Dumon stent at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University between March 2014 and October 2021. We included patients with successful removal of silicone stents after implantation. The clinical data and information on bronchoscopic interventional procedures and related complications were collected and analyzed. Results Ninety-nine patients with benign airway stenosis were included. The stent was placed mainly in the trachea (44.4%) and left main bronchus (43.4%). The main type of stenosis was post-tuberculosis bronchial stenosis (57.6%). The overall cure rate was 60.6%. Stent-related complications included retention of secretions (70.7%), granuloma formation (67.7%), stent angulation (21.2%), and stent migration (12.1%). The stent was less effective for left main bronchus stenosis ( p = 0.012). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified that stent placement for more than 13 months, a stent-intervention number of ⩽ 1 predicted a favorable outcome. Conclusion The efficacy and safety of the Dumon stent for benign airway stenosis need improvement. The stent is less effective for left main bronchus stenosis; regular follow-up is required in such cases. Stent placement for > 13 months and no more than once stent intervention within a 6-month period were associated with a favorable outcome.