ABSTRACT
I. Introduction A stent is a hollow, cylindrical prosthesis that maintains luminal patency and provides support for a graft or anastomosis. It is named after Charles Stent, a British dentist who was the first to create dental splints in the nineteenth century. Airway stenting has been practiced for over a century. Indications for stent placement can be for its barrier effect by protecting the airway lumen from tumor or granulation tissue ingrowth, for splinting effect by counterbalancing the extrinsic pressure exerted on the airway, or both (1). The covering of the stent provides the barrier effect while dynamic and static properties determine the splinting effect (2).
