Acta Med. 2011, 54: 137-143
Use of Bio-Degradable Stents for the Treatment of Refractory Benign Gastrointestinal Stenoses
Bio-degradable stents are be made of different synthetic polymers (like polylactide or polyglycolide) or their co-polymers (polydioxanone). They can be used for treating benign stenoses of the small and large intestine, particularly in Crohn’s disease. Endoscopic introduction of bio-degradable stents into small and large intestinal stenoses is feasible and relatively simple. Initial results are encouraging and the complication rate is low. However, there are still some difficulties that need to be overcome. The rate of early stent migration is still rather high (up to one third of patients). This might be solved by changes in the shape or rigidity of the stents as well as by further improvement in the design. Proof of long-term efficacy and safety requires further studies.
Keywords
Bio-degradable stents, Crohn’s disease, Double balloon endoscopy, Polydioxanone, Intestinal benign stenoses.
Funding
This work was supported by research project MZO 00179906 from the Ministry of Health, Czech Republic.
References
Copyright
Published by the Karolinum Press. For permission to use please write to actamedica@lfhk.cuni.cz.
