Colonic stents for the palliation of malignant colonic obstruction.

Colorectal self-expanding metal stents have revolutionized the palliative treatment of patients with advanced malignancies and those patients who present with acute colon obstruction and who were previously treated with emergent surgical decompression via formation of colostomy. The placement of stents can be fluoroscopically or non-fluoroscopically guided. The use of stents is associated with significant reduction in hospital duration, mortality and medical complications compared to surgery. The most frequent complications are stent malposition and migration, bleeding, colonic perforation and tumor ingrowth and/or overgrowth. 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel