Biodegradable stents dissolve after a period of time and the extraction of such devices is unnecessary. These stents are expected to be well tolerated and have advantages over traditional airway stents.
Polydioxanone is a biodegradable polymer that is widely used for absorbable sutures. The authors present results achieved in 22 adult patients who underwent tracheal polydioxanone stent insertion.
This use was a novel, previously untested approach. The study was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee and was based on a project entitled "Biodegradable stents in the management of stenoses of the large airways" (project NT 14146-3/2013).