An airway stent is a tube of silicone or metal placed inside the trachea or a bronchus to hold open an airway that is narrowed or collapsing. Where a major airway is obstructed, opening it restores airflow to an entire lobe or lung — and relief of breathlessness is usually immediate. Airway stenting in Rewari is performed by Dr. Ajit Yadav at Vaayu Care.
When a stent is needed
The central airways can narrow from within, from outside, or because the wall itself has lost strength:
- Malignant obstruction — a tumour growing into the airway or compressing it from outside, most often in lung cancer, oesophageal cancer, thyroid cancer or mediastinal lymph node disease
- Benign stricture — scarring after prolonged intubation or tracheostomy, after tuberculosis, or following trauma or surgery
- Tracheobronchomalacia — softening of the airway wall so it collapses on breathing out, causing breathlessness and a barking cough that is very often misdiagnosed as asthma or COPD
- Tracheo-oesophageal fistula — an abnormal connection between airway and food pipe, causing coughing on swallowing and repeated pneumonia; a covered stent seals it
- Extrinsic compression from any mediastinal mass
Stenting is generally palliative in malignant disease — it treats the obstruction, not the cancer — but its effect on breathlessness and quality of life can be substantial and immediate.
Types of stent
Silicone stents are placed through a rigid bronchoscope. They can be repositioned or removed easily, which makes them well suited to benign disease where the stent may not be needed permanently. They migrate more readily and can be blocked by secretions.
Self-expanding metallic stents are delivered through a flexible or rigid scope and expand into place. They conform well to irregular airways and are less likely to migrate. Covered versions prevent tumour growing through the mesh and are used to seal fistulae. Uncovered metal stents become embedded in the airway wall over time and are extremely difficult to remove, so they are generally avoided in benign disease.
Y-stents sit at the carina where the trachea divides, holding both main bronchi open.
The choice depends on the site, the cause, whether the narrowing is benign or malignant, and whether the stent may need removing later.
How it is done
Stenting is performed under general anaesthesia, usually through a rigid bronchoscope, which allows the airway to be secured and any obstructing tumour to be debulked first — a stent placed into a lumen still filled with tumour will not work.
A recent CT chest is essential for planning, and bronchoscopy defines the exact level, length and severity of the narrowing so the correct stent size is chosen. Undersizing leads to migration; oversizing causes pain and tissue injury.
Once the airway has been opened, the stent is deployed under direct vision and its position confirmed. A chest X-ray afterwards documents the final position.
After stenting
A short inpatient stay is usual. Improvement in breathing is often noticeable as soon as you wake.
Humidification is essential and lifelong while the stent is in place. A stent interferes with the airway's natural clearance, so secretions can dry and crust on it. Regular nebulised saline or steam, and good hydration, prevent the commonest complication.
Follow-up bronchoscopy checks position and patency and clears any secretions. Carry a card or note stating that you have an airway stent — it matters if you ever need emergency airway management or anaesthesia.
Seek urgent review for increasing breathlessness, a change in the sound of your breathing, fever, or coughing up blood.
Risks and limitations
Stents solve an immediate problem but require ongoing care. Recognised complications include mucus plugging and crusting, which is why humidification matters; migration of the stent from its intended position; growth of granulation tissue at the stent ends, which can itself narrow the airway; tumour growth through or beyond an uncovered stent; infection; and rarely airway perforation or bleeding.
A stent is not always the right answer. Where the airway is compressed purely from outside and the tumour will respond quickly to radiotherapy or chemotherapy, treating the tumour may be preferable. Where the lung beyond the obstruction has been collapsed for a long time and will not re-expand, stenting achieves little. These judgements are made at assessment.
Booking in Rewari
Airway stenting is planned after consultation, CT review and bronchoscopic assessment. Bring all CT films and reports and a list of your medicines.
Book an appointment at Vaayu Care, Rewari.
Frequently asked questions
How quickly will I feel better after a stent is placed?
Usually immediately. Opening a critically narrowed central airway restores airflow to a whole lobe or lung, and most patients notice a marked difference in breathlessness as soon as they wake from anaesthesia. The degree of benefit depends on how much of the breathlessness was due to the obstruction itself.
Is the stent permanent?
It depends on why it was placed. In malignant obstruction it usually stays permanently, since the underlying cause persists. In benign stricture a silicone stent may be removed once the airway has remodelled, often after several months. Uncovered metal stents become embedded and are very hard to remove, which is why they are avoided in benign disease.
Why do I need to use steam or nebulisation every day?
A stent interferes with the airway's natural clearance mechanism, so mucus can dry and crust on its surface. Crusting is the commonest complication and can block the stent. Regular nebulised saline or steam inhalation, along with good hydration, keeps secretions thin and is the single most important thing you can do after stenting.
Can the stent move or block?
Both can happen. Migration is more common with silicone stents and is managed by repositioning or replacing it. Blockage from crusted secretions is prevented by humidification and cleared at bronchoscopy. Granulation tissue can grow at the stent ends over time and may need treatment. This is why follow-up bronchoscopy is part of the plan.
Will a stent treat my lung cancer?
No. A stent relieves the mechanical obstruction and the breathlessness it causes, but it does not treat the cancer itself. It is used alongside chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy or immunotherapy, and often makes those treatments more tolerable by improving breathing first.