Biodegradable stents for the treatment of refractory or recurrent benign oesophageal stenosis

Benign oesophageal stenosis (BOS) is a condition in which the normal oesophageal lumen is constricted and the normal passage of swallowed food from the upper oesophagus to the stom-ach is impeded. BOS can be caused by a wide range of disorders such as peptic steno-ses as a consequence to gastroesophageal reflux disease, eosinophilic oesophagitis, caustic inju-ries, medication-induced stenoses, radiation-induced stenoses, postendoscopy-induced stenoses, congenital anomalies, Schatzki ring, oesophageal web, or motility disorders such as achalasia.

Oesophageal dilation is the primary therapy for management of dysphagia related to BOS. Some patients achieve satisfactory results without further intervention but others may need repeated courses of dilation over many years. The use of stents is an alternative for patients with refractory or recurrent dysphagia despite repeated dilations. The stents available for the treatment of RRBOS are SEMS, SEPS and more recently oesopha-geal biodegradable stents.