The application of stents in the GI tract has come as a great boon to malignant and palliative patients and can reduce unnecessary surgery. Stent placement is the most frequently used treatment modality for palliating dysphagia from esophageal or gastric cardia cancer. Stents are also the treatment of choice for esophagorespiratory fistulas, for proximal malignant lesions near the upper esophageal sphincter, for recurrent carcinoma after esophagectomy or gastrectomy and for sealing traumatic or iatrogenic nonmalignant ruptures, such as Boerhaave’s syndrome and leakages following surgery.
