{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,27]],"date-time":"2026-01-27T22:58:16Z","timestamp":1769554696270,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,25]],"date-time":"2026-01-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1769299200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Objectives: Central airway obstruction (CAO) caused by malignant tumors may necessitate combined and prompt treatment. The aim is to recanalize and stabilize the airways as palliation. We present our multicentric experience managing malignant CAO through the placement of Y-shaped self-expanding covered metallic or silicone trachea-bronchial stents. Methods: This retrospective study includes patients who underwent placement of Y-shaped stents from 2002 to 2024 across six different centers in Italy and Great Britain. We evaluated outcomes related to the feasibility and safety of the procedure, as well as the palliation of dyspnoea on the Modified Borg Scale of Dyspnoea. Results: Eighty patients (56.2% female) with a mean age of 64.8 \u00b1 9.6 years were included in the study. Successful placement was achieved in 76 (95%) cases, with no cases of intraoperative mortality. The mean procedure time was 36.64 \u00b1 15.7 min. The complications noted included: 7 (8.7%) cases of periprocedural clinical complications and 7 (8.7%) patients requiring intensive care unit admittance after the procedure. Fifty patients (78.1%) received cancer treatment following the procedure. The mean dyspnoea score on the Borg scale decreased from 7.78 \u00b1 0.98 to 4.02 \u00b1 2.2 (p &lt; 0.05). Conclusions: The placement of metal or silicone Y-shaped stents is a feasible and safe procedure for the palliative treatment of dyspnoea in patients with malignant stenosis of the trachea and main bronchi. Stabilizing the airway also enables these patients to access cancer treatments.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm15030966","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,27]],"date-time":"2026-01-27T09:21:40Z","timestamp":1769505700000},"page":"966","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Treatment of Malignant Tracheobronchial Stenosis with Y-Shaped Stent: A Multicenter Retrospective Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-6932-8579","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Diletta","family":"Mongiello","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Thoracic Surgery Unit, University of Foggia, 71122 Foggia, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Vincenzo","family":"Pagliarulo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Cardiothoracic Department, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle NE7 7DN, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-0604-8582","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Letizia","family":"Perri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Respiratory Diseases Department, University of Modena, 41121 Modena, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4553-3973","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Domenico","family":"Pourmolkara","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Thoracic Surgery Unit, University of Perugia, 06100 Perugia, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Francesco","family":"Puma","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Thoracic Surgery Unit, University of Perugia, 06100 Perugia, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Giovanni","family":"Natale","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Thoracic Surgery Unit, \u2018Luigi Vanvitelli\u2019 Hospital, 80131 Napoli, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4113-1598","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Riccardo","family":"Orlandi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Thoracic Surgery Unit, Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital, 24127 Bergamo, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Francesco","family":"Sollitto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Thoracic Surgery Unit, University of Foggia, 71122 Foggia, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5321-5828","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ugo","family":"Cioffi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Surgery, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2537-2532","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Angelo","family":"Guttadauro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, 20158 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2830-2783","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Federico","family":"Raveglia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Thoracic Surgery, Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori, 20900 Monza, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0628-613X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alfonso","family":"Fiorelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Thoracic Surgery Unit, \u2018Luigi Vanvitelli\u2019 Hospital, 80131 Napoli, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Domenico","family":"Loizzi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Thoracic Surgery Unit, University of Foggia, 71122 Foggia, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"426","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chest.2016.02.001","article-title":"Central Airway Obstruction: Benign Strictures, Tracheobronchomalacia, and Malignancy-related Obstruction","volume":"150","author":"Murgu","year":"2016","journal-title":"Chest"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1278","DOI":"10.1164\/rccm.200210-1181SO","article-title":"Central airway obstruction","volume":"169","author":"Ernst","year":"2004","journal-title":"Am. 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