Esophageal Stenting
Esophageal Stenting
In an esophageal stent procedure, a tube is placed in your esophagus (throat) to keep open a blocked area. The tube helps you swallow solids and liquids.
Your esophagus is the muscular tube connecting the back of your mouth to your stomach. When you swallow, the muscles of your esophagus contract. They propel food into your stomach.
Many health problems can partly block a portion of your esophagus. That can make it hard to swallow. The medical term for this is dysphagia. You might have pain when you swallow or feel like food is getting stuck in your chest. The food might come back up after you swallow. An esophageal stent can help reopen your blocked esophagus and ease symptoms.
The procedure might take place under general anesthesia or conscious sedation. If it takes place under general anesthesia, you will sleep through the procedure and feel no pain. If it takes place under conscious sedation, you will get medicines to make you relaxed and sleepy. The surgeon may numb the area under surgery so that you won’t feel much pain.
During the procedure, the surgeon places a long, thin tube (catheter) down the back of your mouth and into your esophagus. Next, the surgeon places a folded-up hollow tube (stent) over the catheter in the correct position across the blockage. The stent expands against the walls of your esophagus, giving support. Then the surgeon removes the catheter and leaves the stent in place.
Why might I need an esophageal stent procedure?
You might need an esophageal stent for a number of health problems. Traditionally, healthcare providers have most often used esophageal stents to treat esophageal cancer. That is still the most common reason. But these stents are also used to treat:
- Cancer of the top part of the stomach
- Narrowing of the esophagus as it’s pushed from the outside by a cancer (such as lung cancer) or enlarged lymph nodes
- Narrowing of the esophagus from an ulcer
- Narrowing of the esophagus from radiation treatment
- Abnormal opening between the trachea (wind pipe) and esophagus
- A hole in the esophagus
Any of these health problems can cause dysphagia. Dysphagia is serious because it can lead to aspiration. During aspiration, you inhale food and stomach contents into your lungs. That can lead to complications like pneumonia. Dysphagia also lowers your quality of life. An esophageal stent can help ease these problems.
Even if you have esophageal cancer, you may not need an esophageal stent. In some cases, your healthcare provider may be able to treat your cancer with surgery or chemotherapy instead. If these therapies won’t work for you, an esophageal stent may be another option. In other cases, a gastrostomy tube or jejunostomy tube might make more sense for you. These tubes go straight from your outer abdomen to your stomach or small intestine. Talk with your healthcare provider about all your treatment choices.
How do I get ready for an esophageal stent procedure?
Talk with your healthcare provider about what you should do to get ready. You may have to stop eating and drinking the night before your procedure. Follow your healthcare provider’s instructions about what medicines to take or not take beforehand. Don’t stop taking any medicine unless he or she tells you to do so. Plan to have someone available to drive you home afterward.
Tell your healthcare provider about the following:
- Any allergies or past problems with anesthesia
- Any new health problems, like a recent fever
- If you are pregnant or might be pregnant
- All medicines you take including prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines and supplements
Your healthcare provider might order some tests before your procedure. These might include a barium swallow test. It can give more information about the anatomy of your esophagus. Just before the procedure, you may receive an IV. It can deliver medicine to you during the procedure.