Table 2. Stent characteristics overall and stratified by follow-up bronchoscopy status.
| Characteristic | All stents (N=147) | Stents in patients with follow-up bronchoscopy (n=100) | Stents in patients without follow-up bronchoscopy (n=47) | P value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stent type, n (%) | ||||
| Hybrid (Merit Endotek) | 63 (42.9) | 40 (40.0) | 23 (48.9) | 0.31 |
| Metallic (Boston Scientific) | 11 (7.5) | 6 (6.0) | 5 (10.6) | 0.32 |
| Straight silicone stent (Novatech) | 33 (22.4) | 23 (23.0) | 10 (21.3) | 0.82 |
| Y stent (Novatech) | 30 (20.4) | 21 (21.0) | 9 (19.2) | 0.80 |
| T-tube (Boston Medical Products) | 10 (6.8) | 10 (10.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0.025 |
| Stent location, n (%) | ||||
| Trachea | 44 (29.9) | 37 (37.0) | 7 (14.9) | 0.006 |
| Carina (Y stent) | 30 (20.4) | 21 (21.0) | 9 (19.1) | 0.80 |
| Left mainstem bronchus | 20 (13.6) | 11 (11.0) | 9 (19.1) | 0.18 |
| Right mainstem bronchus | 10 (6.8) | 7 (7.0) | 3 (6.4) | 0.89 |
| Bronchus intermedius | 39 (26.5) | 24 (24.0) | 15 (31.9) | 0.31 |
| Other** | 4 (2.7) | 0 (0.0) | 4 (8.5) | 0.003 |
| Stent-related complications | ||||
| No complications, n (%) | – | 31 (31.0) | – | |
| Complication found, n (%)*** | – | 69 (69.0) | – | |
| Obstruction by secretions, n | – | 37 | – | |
| Obstruction by tumor/granulation tissue, n | – | 27 | – | |
| Migration, n | – | 20 | – | |
| Fracture, n | – | 1 | – | |
| Distortion, n | – | 1 | – | |
| Therapeutic interventions | ||||
| No intervention, n (%) | – | 26 (26.0) | – | |
| Intervention performed, n (%)**** | – | 74 (74.0) | – | |
| Aspiration of secretions, n | – | 36 | – | |
| Stent removal, n | – | 27 | – | |
| Stent replacement, n | – | 13 | – | |
| Tumor/GT resection, n | – | 12 | – | |
| Balloon dilation, n | – | 12 | – | |
| Stent repositioning, n | – | 4 | – | |
| Additional stent insertion, n | – | 4 | – |
*, P value comparing characteristics of stents among patients who did and did not undergo follow-up bronchoscopy. Each stent type and location is compared to all other stent types and locations, respectively; **, other stent locations included the left lower lobe (n=3) and the left upper lobe (n=1); ***, some stents were affected by more than one complication; ****, more than one intervention was performed on some stents. GT, granulation tissue.