Newly developed biodegradable stents for benign gastrointestinal tract stenoses: a preliminary clinical trial.

We developed an Ultraflex-type stent by knitting polylactic acid monofilaments. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the stent's clinical usefulness for treating benign stenoses in the gastrointestinal tract. The radial force of the biodegradable stent was compared with those of commercially available metallic stents. The measured radial force of the new biodegradable stent was higher than that of commercially available metallic stents. The biodegradable stents were applied in 2 patients with benign gastrointestinal stenoses. The first patient was a 19-year-old female with esophageal stenosis, due to drinking of caustic potash in an attempt to commit suicide. The second patient was a 75-year-old male who had a stenosis at the anastomotic site after esophageal cancer resection. In both cases, the placement of the stent was performed successfully, and the patients' complaints improved immediately after stent placement. There were no complications during stent placement. The stenosis had not recurred at the six-month follow-up examination. In conclusion, the newly developed biodegradable stents were useful in treating benign stenoses of the alimentary tract.