Assessment of healing of esophageal fistulae following stent placement without complete stent removal.

Anastomotic leaks and fistulae are among the major life-threatening post-esophagectomy complications, with incidence rates ranging from 3% to 10%, increasing post-surgical mortality to about 20% [1]. The successful closure of post-surgical fistulae may be achieved by the use of fully covered, self-expandable, metal esophageal stents (SEMSs) [2]. When SEMSs are selected for treatment, stents need to be removed after 4–6 weeks. Endoscopy and contrast radiography examination may help to evaluate whether a fistula has been effectively closed [3]. If closure has not occurred, another stent should be placed at the site, followed by reassessment after another 3–4 weeks. Whereas multiple stenting may be needed for the management of persistent fistulae, this significantly impacts the final treatment costs. Fully covered SEMSs (Hanarostent; M.I. Tech, Seoul, South Korea) have been our preferred choice E-Videos