Successful endoscopic removal of a partially covered self-expandable metallic stent that had migrated to the oral side of the tumor

Abstract

An 83-year-old man with vomiting visited our hospital. Computed tomography revealed wall thickening of the descending colon and dilated proximal colon. Colonoscopy revealed obstructive descending colon cancer (CROSS 0, cT3N0M0 cStage IIa). We inserted a partially covered self-expandable metallic stent (SEMS). Two months after SEMS placement, he was admitted to our hospital because of difficulty in passing stool. While we were attempting to resolve the obstruction, the SEMS migrated to the oral side of the tumor. We successfully removed the SEMS using the sliding tube of a single balloon endoscope.

In cases of SEMS migration to the oral side of the tumor, the SEMS is seldom excreted spontaneously outside the body. Therefore, it is important to know the strategy of endoscopic removal.