Usefulness of endobronchial stenting for nonmalignant right middle lobe syndrome.

We report herein a case of nonmalignant middle lobe atelectasis of the right lung resulting in significant stenosis of the airway. The new short self-expandable metallic stents (SEMS) were used to perform temporary stenting and expansion of the right middle lobe airway. SEMS have been used to treat airway obstructions in the trachea, as well as the right and left carina, but few studies have looked at placing SEMS at the level of the bronchi, especially right middle lobe bronchus.

Magnetic sphincter augmentation is an effective treatment for atypical symptoms caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine whether magnetic sphincter augmentation (MSA) could effectively treat patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) who suffer primarily from atypical symptoms due to laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR). MSA has been shown to treat typical symptoms of GERD with good success, but its effect on atypical symptoms is unknown.

Methods: A retrospective review of a prospectively maintained institutional review board-approved database was conducted for all patients who underwent MSA between January 2015 and December 2018.