New tubular bioabsorbable knitted airway stent: Feasibility assessment for delivery and deployment in a dog model

Purpose. The aim of this study was to determine whether it is possible to deliver and deploy a new device, a poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) tubular knitted airway stent, under bronchoscopic guidance in a dog model. Description. The delivery system consisted of a flexible balloon catheter (controlled radial expansion balloon dilator, M00558440, Boston Scientific Corporation, MA, USA) preloaded with a stent. A delivery catheter preloaded with a stent was advanced to a target point in the trachea under bronchoscopic guidance. Once the stent was positioned, the balloon was inflated for sixty seconds. The stent was in full contact with the tracheal wall upon deflation of the balloon. Evaluation. The stents were successfully delivered into the tracheal lumen and successfully deployed in all dogs. Conclusions. This is the first study to prove the feasibility of delivering and deploying the PLLA stents in a dog model, using a balloon expansion technique. Further investigation with large numbers of subjects and long-term follow-up will be necessary to assess the utility of the bioabsorbable knitted tubular stent before clinical applications begin. (C) 2004 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.