Silicone stents, the rigid bronchoscope, and the standard of care in central airway stenosis

Central airway stenoses often represent a therapeutic challenge and require a multidisciplinary approach involving interventional pulmonologists and thoracic surgeons. While surgery is often the preferred definitive modality, advances in bronchoscopic techniques have led to substantial improvements in patient symptoms and long-term quality of life using minimally invasive techniques generally safe when performed by experienced proceduralists. Endobronchial laser therapy, cryotherapy, conventional electrocautery, or argon plasma coagulation and photodynamic therapy have been used successfully. A variety of stents, silicone or self-expandable (covered or non-covered metallic stents), have been used though little significant progress has been achieved since the description of the dedicated airway silicone stents first described by Jean-Francois Dumon in the 1980s. Rigid bronchoscopy remains the method of choice for the treatment of both benign and malignant central airway obstruction, but significant technological advances allow for effective treatments using the flexible bronchoscope. Metallic non-covered stents are generally not recommended, except in selected patients with poor short-term prognosis.