Successful biodegradable stent insertion in an infant with severe bronchomalacia and cystic fibrosis

Abstract

We report the first case of biodegradable airway stent insertion for a patient with bronchomalacia and cystic fibrosis (CF). This female infant with antenatally diagnosed cystic fibrosis developed respiratory distress by three weeks of age. On lower airway examination she was found to have severe left main stem bronchomalacia causing left upper lobe hyperinflation and subsequent right upper lobe collapse. By eight weeks of age she developed life-threatening respiratory failure requiring high pressure invasive ventilation. A biodegradable bronchial stent was inserted to the left main bronchus at thirteen weeks of age with successful extubation from invasive respiratory support four days later. A second biodegradable stent was inserted nine weeks later, due to persistent bronchomalacia following stent degradation and redevelopment of oxygen requirement. She was discharged home off all respiratory support eight weeks later and has remained well, requiring no further surgical intervention for bronchomalacia to date, now age three years.

Keywords: Airway; Biodegradable stent; Bronchomalacia; Cystic fibrosis; Tracheomalacia.