Endoscopic Placement and Fixation of a Temporary Self-expanding Plastic Stent for an Anastomotic Dehiscence and Stricture

Jeffrey M. Marks, MD,FACS; Amitabh Chak, MD; Victor Chen, MD; Jeffrey Ponsky, MD, FACS

Product Details
Product ID: ACS-2508
Year Produced: 2006
Length: 6 min.


The management of postoperative anastomotic complications frequently requires a multimodality approach including radiologic, endoscopic, and surgical techniques. We report on the technique for endoscopic placement of a recently developed self-expanding plastic esophageal stent, as well as a modification to minimize migration. A 72 year old male was referred following surgery for recurrent gastric cancer. He had undergone completion gastrectomy and esophagojejunostomy with Roux-en-Y reconstruction. Post-operatively, the patient complained of dysphagia. Contrast studies identified an anastomotic stricture and contained dehiscence.Endoscopic evaluation confirmed these findings and a 120 mm x 20 mm removable plastic stent was placed utilizing fluoroscopic guidance. Proximal and distal points 6cm above and below the anastomosis were marked with submucosal injections of contrast. Due to the concern for stent migration, 2-0 silk sutures were placed on the proximal edge of the stent and secured, following deployment, by endoscopic clips. Post-procedure barium swallow showed flow of contrast into the small bowel and absence of the dehiscence. Serial KUBs every two weeks to identify any migration of the stent are performed and the stent is then removed at six weeks. This novel endoscopic tool may avoid the need for major surgical intervention for this complex postoperative problem.