Stent placement

Intestinal lumen can sometimes become narrowed due to various diseases. This may result in  intestinal obstruction presenting with persistent vomiting or abdominal distension. Besides surgical resection, one possible alternative is to dilate the narrowed segment with a specialised rigid balloon to re-establish intestinal continuity. If necessary, the narrowed segment can be prop-up further by deploying a self-expansion metal stent (SEMS). SEMS consists of a complex metal wire mesh-work or interconnecting zig-zag rings which expand outwards upon deployment. This will form a scaffolding and prevent the intestinal segment from collapsing inwards after dilation.

During ERCP, plastic and metals stents may also be inserted into the bile duct or pancreatic duct to achieve similar effect.

Lumen dilation and metal stent placement carry significant risk and proper placement is required to minimise associated complications including bleeding, perforation and stent migration.