When Stents Go Astray, We Find a Way: A Case Report on Retrieving a Migrated Esophageal Stent

Benign esophageal strictures are characterized by the narrowing of the esophageal passage due to fibrotic changes. These strictures can arise from various causes, including gastroesophageal reflux disease, which leads to peptic strictures; surgical procedures causing esophageal injury, resulting in anastomotic strictures; radiation therapy, ingestion of corrosive substances, or endoscopic resection. Approximately 10% of benign esophageal strictures do not respond to conventional dilation therapy, prompting the consideration of temporary stent insertion as an alternative treatment approach. However, only about one-third of patients with refractory benign esophageal strictures experience sustained relief from dysphagia following self-expanding stent placement. Challenges such as stent migration and hyperplastic tissue response pose limitations to the effectiveness of this intervention. The utilization of self-expanding metal stents (SEMSs) in benign esophageal diseases is not standard practice due to the associated risks of adverse events such as tissue ingrowth at the uncovered portions, migration, and bleeding. One of the major challenges encountered is the growth of hyperplastic tissue around the stent during retrieval and subsequent serial esophageal bougie dilations. Long-term self-bougie dilations, coupled with the patient's gained self-confidence, played a crucial role in the management. While most migrated esophageal metallic stents are typically left in the stomach, in this particular case, the patient's progressive dysphagia necessitated retrieval. This article discusses a 65-year-old female with a benign esophageal stricture treated with a self-expandable metallic stent. Eight months post-insertion by another doctor, she presented to us with worsening dysphagia. Endoscopy revealed a stent migrated into the antrum of the stomach with a proximal esophageal stricture. Endoscopic dilation and stent retrieval were performed, followed by serial esophageal bougie dilations. Subsequently, her dysphagia settled with self-insertion of a 9 mm esophageal dilator.