All You Need to Know About Airway Stenting

Some disease complications or diseases can cause airway narrowing or blocking of the airways. This sometimes results in shortness of breath or even suffocation. If someone compresses your neck tightly, you will feel choked.

This can be attributed to the fact that your windpipe is blocked or narrowed during the compression. The supply of oxygen to your lungs and body is also blocked. This act of compressing the neck using the hands to block the windpipe is called strangulation.

When the blocking of the windpipe is caused by a disease like tuberculosis or cancer, the effect produced is the same as strangulation.

A stent is a hollow tube that is made of silicone or part metal and part silicone. It is placed in the airway to open up the narrowed area and relieve the blockage so the patient can breathe easily again.

Airway stenting is done either in the trachea or the bronchi depending on where the narrowing is. The tube that carries the air from the mouth to the nose down to the center of the chest is known as trachea.

The tube that branches off the trachea and carries air from the center of the chest down to the different areas of the lungs is called the bronchi. Stents are made of various materials like metal or silicone. Stents also come in diverse sizes and shapes.

Airways stents can also be temporary or permanent. To help the doctor determine the type of stent that is ideal for each patient, certain factors are considered including the expected life span of the patient and the cause of the blockage.

What to Expect After Airway Stenting

After the procedure, patients will wake up in the recovery room. The breathing, blood pressure, and heart is monitored. One the patient is fully awake, the IV is taken out and the patient will be given a drink.

It is also possible for the patient to cough up a little blood after the procedure. However, this should not be a cause of concern and this is typically normal. Patients might also experience throat soreness for a day or two.

Patients that have a lung biopsy at the time of the procedure, a chest X-ray may also be performed. This is done to ensure the lung is not punctured. Fortunately, the type of injury is also rare.

It is also possible for the doctor to prescribe a nebulizer in order to keep the stent moist. This is also done to ensure the mucus won’t get stuck. The nebulizer treatments are often done in the evening.

Possible Complications of Airway Stenting

The stent is held in place by the pressure around the stent that stems from the blocked windpipe itself. After undergoing the underlying conditions like tuberculosis or cancer that’s causing the wind pipe blockage.

The blockage can loosen the stent which might lead to the movement of the stent. This can also result in coughing or shortness of breath. In very rare instances, some patients may cough up the stent. If something like that happens, you need to get in touch with the doctors right away.

Some mucus can also accumulate in the stent and block the flow of air. Depending on the type of stent, it is possible for tissue to grow into the stent and make it narrow. Using a nebulizer can also help ensure this won’t happen.

When to Get in Touch With Your Doctor

You need to get in touch with your doctor right away if you want to experience the following:

• Chest pressure or pain
• Coughing up blood for more than 2 days
• Sudden shortness of breath
• Difficulty breathing
• Fever of 101 °F (38.3 °C) or higher
• Bad breath that does not go away