Single application of airway stents in thoracogastric-airway fistula: results and prognostic factors for its healing

The Two-Tube Method for Treating Thoracogastric Airway Fistula

BACKGROUND

 Thoracogastric airway fistula (TGAF) is a fatal complication after esophagectomy. Without active treatment, patients may die of intractable pneumonia, sepsis, massive hemoptysis, or respiratory failure. We determined the clinical value of the two-tube method that involves the precise interventional placement of the nasojejunal tube (NJT) and nasogastric tube (NGT) for TGAF.

METHODS

 Clinical data of patients with TGAF who had undergone fluoroscopic interventional placement of NJT and NGT were analyzed retrospectively. The paired t-test was used to compare the index values before and after treatment. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.

RESULTS

 In total, 212 patients (177 male and 35 female; mean age, 61.3 ± 7.9 years [47-73]) with TGAF who had undergone the two-tube method were included. Posttreatment chest spiral computed tomography and inflammatory indicators showed significantly improved pulmonary inflammation compared with that before treatment. The patients' general condition remained stable. Of 212 patients, 12 (5.7%) underwent surgical repair, 108 (50.9%) received placement of airway stents, and 92 (43.4%) cases only continued treatment with the two-tube method owing to patients' conditions. In total, 47.8% (44/92) patients died of secondary pulmonary infection, bleeding, and primary tumor progression, whereas 52.2% (48/92) patients survived with both tubes.

CONCLUSION

 The two-tube method, which involves the precise interventional placement of the NJT and NGT, is simple, safe, and effective for treating TGAF. This method is a bridge for successive treatments or a treatment itself for patients who are unsuitable for surgical repair or stent placement.

Surgical cervicothoracic-flap repair of neoesophagus-airway fistula after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer: A retrospective cohort study

Objective

To evaluate outcomes of surgical repair of postesophagectomy neoesophagus-airway fistulas (NEAFs).

Methods

We retrospectively included consecutive patients with NEAF managed by various techniques at our center between August 2009 and July 2021.

Result

Of the 11 patients (median age, 60 years; interquartile range, 58, 62), 4 had received induction chemoradiotherapy and 4 others induction chemotherapy. NEAF was mainly a complication of anastomotic leakage (n = 6) or attempted stenosis treatment (n = 3). The airway mainly involved was the trachea (n = 8). Airway defects were repaired by resection-anastomosis (n = 5), perforator flaps (n = 4), pedicled pericardium (n = 1), and/or direct suturing (n = 2). Gastric conduit defects were repaired by perforator flaps (n = 6), direct suturing (n = 2), or pedicled pericardium (n = 1). Of the 7 perforator flaps, 4 were internal mammary-artery, two dorsal intercostal-artery, and one supraclavicular-artery flaps. After a median follow-up of 100 months, 2 patients died on early postoperative course from NEAF repair failure and 3 from late NEAF recurrence at 4, 11, and 33 months. Among the remaining 6 patients, 1 died from local tumoral recurrence at 13 months, 1 was last on follow-up at 27 months, alive and eating normally. The other 4 were free from NEAF recurrence and dysphagia or swallowing disorder at 50 months' follow-up. These 4 results were obtained thanks to perforator flap interposition and airway resection anastomosis.

Conclusions

Surgical NEAF repair using perforator flap interposition may provide satisfactory long-term function after strong prehabilitation.

Treatment of Esophago-Airway Fistula after Esophageal Resection

(1) Background: Esophago-airway fistula after esophageal resection is a rare, life-threatening complication associated with a high postoperative mortality rate. Managing this condition is challenging, and the prognosis for patients is uncertain. The results and our own approach to treatment are presented. (2) Material and Methods: We present a retrospective analysis of a group of 22 patients treated for an esophago-airway fistula between 2012 and 2022, with 21 cases after esophageal resection and one during the course of Hodgkin's disease. (3) Results: Twenty-two patients were treated for an esophago-airway fistula. Among them, a tracheobronchial fistula occurred in 21 (95.4%) patients during the postoperative period, while 1 (4.5%) was treated for Hodgkin's disease. Of these cases, 17 (70.7%) patients underwent esophageal diversion with various treatments, including intercostal flap in most cases, greater omentum in one (4.5%), latissimus dorsi muscle in two (9%), and greater pectoral muscle in one (4.5%). Esophageal stenting was performed in two patients (9.0%), and one (4.5%) was treated conservatively. Unfortunately, one patient (4.5%) died after being treated with bronchial stenting, and two (9.5%) experienced a recurrence of the fistula. (4) Conclusions: The occurrence of an esophago-airway fistula after esophagectomy is a rare but life-threatening complication with an uncertain prognosis that results in several serious perioperative sequelae.

Treatment of aerodigestive fistulas with a novel covered metallic Y-shaped segmented airway stent customized with the assistance of 3D printing

Background

The management of aerodigestive fistula remains challenging. An airway stent that matches well with the individual geometry of the airway is needed for the treatment of the aerodigestive fistula. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of a novel covered metallic segmented Y-shaped airway stent customized with the assistance of 3D printing in aerodigestive fistulas involving the carina and distal bronchi and to compare the flexibility of the novel stent with the conventional wholly knitted stent.

Methods

In the flexibility study, we measured the longitudinal bending force and spring-back force of the segmented stent and wholly knitted stent. Patient-specific stents that were individually customized with the assistance of 3D printing technology were implanted in 26 patients with aerodigestive fistulas. The technical success, clinical success, Karnofsky performance status (KPS), and stent-related complications were recorded.

Results

The bending force and spring-back force of the segmented stent were significantly lower than those of the wholly knitted stent. Stent deployment was technically successful in all patients. Clinical success was obtained in 21 patients. The KPS of patients after the stenting procedure improved significantly compared with that before stenting (P<0.001). During follow-up, granulation tissue proliferation, sputum retention, stent migration, and intolerance of the stent were found in 2, 5, 1, and 1 patient, respectively.

Conclusions

The segmented metallic Y-shaped airway stent had greater flexibility than the wholly knitted stent in an ex vivo setting. Implantation of the segmented stent individually customized with the aid of 3D printing is feasible in treating aerodigestive fistulas involving the carina and bronchi distal to the carina.

Bronchial arterial embolization may reduce the risk of severe bleeding in central airway obstruction due to renal cell carcinomas during bronchoscopic procedures

BACKGROUND

Hemorrhage is a life-threatening complication during bronchoscopic intervention in patients with central airway obstruction (CAO) due to metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Whether pre-bronchoscopic bronchial arterial embolization (BAE) can reduce the risk of severe bleeding in CAO patients due to metastatic RCC remains unclear.

METHODS

A total of 31 CAO patients due to metastatic RCC were included retrospectively and divided into a BAE group (receiving pre-bronchoscopic BAE) and non-BAE group in this study. Based on computed tomography (CT) and bronchoscopic findings, tumor debulking was used to reconstruct the airway during interventional bronchoscopy. The primary outcome was the incidence of severe bleeding during bronchoscopic procedures. Bleeding-related complications, Karnofsky performance score (KPS) and dyspnea score were also analyzed over a 1-month observation period.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences between the two groups in baseline characteristics, including patients' features, tumor morphology under CT scannings, tumor site, and obstruction degree under bronchoscopic examination. Procedure-related bleeding occurred in all 31 patients. Pre-bronchoscopic BAE significantly reduced the incidence of moderate and major bleeding when compared with that in the non-BAE group. The incidence of poor visualization and hypoxia was also reduced significantly in the BAE group. There was no significant difference in KPS and dyspnea score between the BAE and non-BAE groups at 1 month follow up.

CONCLUSION

Pre-bronchoscopic BAE might be a feasible option to reduce the risk of severe bleeding for CAO patients due to metastatic RCC during bronchoscopic intervention. Interventional bronchoscopy was a safe and effective procedure for CAO due to metastatic RCC.The reviews of this paper are available via the supplemental material section.