Fully covered Alimaxx esophageal metal stents in the endoscopic treatment of benign esophageal diseases.

Background: Expandable esophageal stents are widely used for the palliation of dysphagia in patients with esophageal cancer and are also beginning to be used in patients with benign esophageal diseases such as refractory strictures and fistulas. There is concern regarding the increased risk of migration of the fully covered Alimaxx metal esophageal stent and experience with this stent in benign esophageal pathology has been reported in only a small series of patients.

Aims: To evaluate the technical success in placement and removal, efficacy and complications of the Alimaxx esophageal stent for benign esophageal diseases.

Methods: Our endoscopy database was retrospectively reviewed from 1/2003 to 2/2009 to identify patients with Alimaxx esophageal stent placement for benign diseases. Chart review was performed for age, gender, indication, site of the lesion, success of placement, outcome, and incidence of complications.

Results: Twenty-eight stents were successfully placed in 14 patients with benign esophageal diseases (mean: two stents/patient; range 1-7). Indications included esophageal fistula in seven (50%) and benign strictures in 7/14 (50%). Dysphagia improved in all patients while the fistula resolved in 6/7 (85.8%) patients. Complications related to stents included pain (2/28, 7%), stent related gastric ulcer (1/28, 4%), nausea and vomiting (3/21, 11%) and stent migration (11/28, 39%). All migrated stents were successfully endoscopically retrieved.

Conclusions: The fully covered and removable Alimaxx stent is effective in the endoscopic management of benign esophageal strictures or fistulas, despite its relatively high rate of migration. Stent migration was successfully managed endoscopically without complications.