Complication of silicone stent in the management of airway stenosis: a single-center experience.

Background: Airway stenosis is a potentially life-threatening condition that often requires endoscopic intervention to maintain airway patency. Silicone stents are widely used in benign and selected malignant stenoses; however, their placement is frequently associated with adverse events. Despite increasing use in Mexico and Latin America, institutional data describing complication patterns and associated imaging findings remain limited. This study aimed to describe the complications associated with silicone airway stents, as well as their clinical, technical, and tomographic characteristics in a single-center experience. Methods: We conducted an observational, descriptive, retrospective study at the National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Mexico City. Adult patients with subglottic or central airway stenosis who underwent silicone stent placement between January 2019 and January 2025 and developed at least one stent-related complication during follow-up were included. Demographic, clinical, technical, and imaging variables were analyzed. Complications were defined as any stent- or procedure-related adverse event requiring bronchoscopic intervention, stent replacement, or specific therapeutic management. Chest computed tomography (CT) findings were descriptively correlated with bronchoscopic findings in clinically indicated evaluations. Results: Twenty-three patients with silicone stents who developed at least one complication met the inclusion criteria. The median age was 42 years [interquartile range (IQR), 34-53 years], and 60.9% were women. The mean BMI was 26.8 kg/m Conclusions: Among patients who developed complications after silicone airway stent placement, adverse events were frequent and occurred early during follow-up. Chest CT showed high agreement with bronchoscopy in clinically indicated assessments and may serve as a complementary, non-invasive tool for evaluating stent-related complications. The presence of air pockets may represent an early radiologic finding preceding migration; however, this observation should be considered hypothesis-generating.