Objective:

To demonstrate the efficacy and safety of self-expanding metal stents for endoscopic management of esophageal fistulas.

Materials and methods:

Retrospective case series between 2007 and 2017. A total of 11 patients were treated with self-expanding metal stents for esophageal fistula management, after being diagnosed based on symptoms, upper endoscopy, and/or radiological studies in the gastroenterology unit of the Hospital Universitario San Ignacio (HUSI) in Bogotá D.C, Colombia.

Results:

The most common initial symptom was dyspnea in 27.3% of cases, followed by cough in 18.2%. The most frequent finding during follow-up was pleural effusion in 36.4% of the cases, of which 45.5% received a diagnosis of fistula through esophagogram. The most reported lesion was esophagoenteric anastomotic leak with 45.5%, followed by esophagopleural injury with 36.4%; these patients were those who received self-expanding metal stent management. Technical success was achieved in 100% of the cases, and the defect was resolved in in 72.7% of them. The only complication reported was stent migration in 27.3%, requiring 3 changes in 1 patient. The average hospital stay was 41.5 days.

Conclusions:

Endoscopic management of esophagogastric fistulas with self-expanding metal stents is effective and safe, with a low complication rate.

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