Covered Metallic Stent and Benign Colonic Strictures

Self-expanding metallic stent placement is a safe and effective endoscopic procedure increasingly used to relieve colonic obstruction. Fully covered metal stents (FCSEMS) and plastic stents have been recently developed to reduce both hyperplastic (non tumoral) and tumoral tissue ingrowth. These fully covered metal or plastic stents have several advantages over non-covered stents, including the possibility of retrieval and limited local tissue reaction, while providing alleviation of obstruction at possibly lower costs. Only few reports of fully covered metal stent placement in patients with benign colorectal strictures are available in the literature. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of FCSEMS in the management of the colonic benign strictures.