Twenty stents (1Omm in diameter fully expanded and 20mm in length) were introduced into the trachea or bronchi of 10 Newzealand rabbits (weight. 2.5–3.0kg) through a 8.5 French Tef10n sheath. No difficulties were encountered in the placement of the stents. At follow-up (4–12 weeks). no stent showed migration. Three rabbits died of pneumonia or bronchial perforation. Histologically. mucosal inf1ammation was noted at the sites of stent placement. and stent wires were covered by proliferated epithelium with intact cilia.

During the last 4 months. 2 stents were used in 2 patients. one in a patient with endobronchial tuberculosis (3.0cm in length and 1.Ocm in diameter fully expanded) and the other (3.Ocm in length and 1.5cm in diameter) in a patient with a subglottic mass. In both patients the stents were successfully placed. Just after the placement of the stents' dyspnea subsided in both patients. and there was no mortality or morbidity.

These stents seem to be effective in the treatment of tracheobronchial stenosis, tracheomalacia. and airway collapse following tracheal reconstruction.