Collapse of a new type of self-expanding metallic tracheal stent

Airway stent insertion is a procedure increasingly used in patients with complex post-intubation tracheal stenosis (PITS) who are unfit for or refuse surgery [1-3]. Very recently, a new self-expanding metallic stent (Alveolus TB-STSTM, Alveolus Inc., Charlotte, NC, USA) which is supposed to be easy to remove and for which indication for the treatment of benign tracheobronchial conditions has been obtained from the FDA, has been put on the market and is under evaluation. We report on a very unusual complication of an Alveolus tracheal stent in a patient with PITS.