ROCHESTER, Minn., Jan. 29 (UPI) -- A U.S. study has produced a negative evaluation concerning use of self-expanding plastic stents in the treatment of benign esophageal disease.

Mayo Clinic researchers reported use of self-expanding plastic stents, or SEPSs, resulted in frequent stent migration and few cases of long-term improvement.

They concluded further investigation is warranted to identify optimal patient populations and to guide future recommendations for the use of the devices.
SEPSs have been proposed for use in benign esophageal lesions because of their lower cost, ease of placement and retrieval and limited local tissue reaction, the researchers said. Previous studies with limited numbers of patients have shown good success with resolution of benign stenosis and fistulae with few adverse effects.

"In our study of self-expanding plastic stents, migration occurred in more than 60 percent of all patients and of all stents placed," said study lead author Dr. Todd Baron, "Although stent placement typically resolved the patient's symptoms initially, long-term resolution was infrequent in our study group. Only 6 percent of all procedures provided long-term resolution of symptoms after stents were removed."

The retrospective review that involved 30 patients receiving a total of 83 SEPS placements is reported in the journal Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

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