Introduction to Intestinal Stents

Intestinal stent is a medical device, usually a tubular structure made of metal or plastic, used to solve gastrointestinal obstruction caused by intestinal stenosis or occlusion. Intestinal stents can be implanted under endoscopy or through small holes in the skin, and the implantation of stents can expand the narrowed area of the intestine to restore intestinal patency and function. The implantation of intestinal stent can be used to treat many intestinal diseases, such as intestinal tumor, inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatic cancer, etc. This treatment method has the advantages of non-invasive, fast, and effective, which can improve the quality of life of patients and alleviate their pain and discomfort symptoms.

Intestinal stent is a new type of medical device, and its development can be traced back to the late 1970s and early 1980s. The initial intestinal stent was made of plastic and was mainly used to treat upper gastrointestinal obstruction caused by malignant lesions such as esophageal cancer and lung cancer. With the development of medical technology, metal stents have been widely used in the treatment of gastrointestinal obstruction.

In 1991, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States approved the first metal stent for the treatment of biliary stricture and occlusion. Since then, the application of metal stents has gradually expanded to treat various gastrointestinal strictures and occlusion, such as esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, duodenal cancer, biliary cancer, pancreatic cancer cancer and colorectal cancer.

In recent years, with the continuous advancement of medical technology, the design and materials of intestinal stents have also been further improved. The design of modern intestinal stents is more in line with biomechanical principles, which can better adapt to the physiological characteristics of the intestine and solve complex pathological situations. At the same time, the selection of materials is also more diverse, including stainless steel, cobalt chromium alloy, pure titanium, and nickel titanium alloy. These new materials not only have better mechanical properties, but also are more corrosion-resistant and biocompatible, which can reduce the occurrence of adverse reactions and complications after stent implantation.

As a fast and effective treatment method, stent has been widely used and plays an important role in the treatment of intestinal stenosis and occlusion. With the continuous development and improvement of technology, it is believed that intestinal stents will have a wider range of application prospects in the future.