Dr. Todd Baron discusses Mayo Clinic’s use of self-expandable metal stents
Self-expandable metal stents (SEMS) are now acceptable for use in the gastrointestinal tract to relieve malignant luminal obstruction.
SEMS are used as an alternative to surgical bypass for palliation of malignant gastric-outlet obstruction, in the upper gastrointestinal tract.
In the colon, SEMS are used to avoid colostomy during palliation and as a bridge to surgery for left-sided colonic obstruction.
