Airway granulation response to lung-implantable medical devices: a concise overview

Increasing numbers of endoscopically implantable devices are implanted in the airways, such as airway stents, one-way valves and coils, to treat both malignant and benign diseases. They significantly improve patient outcomes, but their long-term effectiveness and sustainability is hampered by the reaction of the formation of granulation tissue. Factors including procedural-related tissue injury; micro-organism presence; device-related factors, such as the material, design and sizing in relation to the airway; and patient-related factors, including genetic susceptibility, comorbidities and medication use, might all effect the severity of the tissue response and the subsequent degree of granulation tissue formation. However, research into the underlying mechanism and risk factors is scarce and therefore our knowledge is limited. Joint efforts from the scientific community, both pre-clinical and clinical, are needed to gain a deeper understanding and eventually improve the long-term treatment effectiveness of lung-implantable devices.

Automated summary

Long-term effectiveness and sustainability of airway implantable devices are hindered by the reaction of granulation tissue formation, but research on underlying mechanisms and risk factors is scarce. Factors such as procedural-related tissue injury, micro-organism presence, device design, and patient-related factors all play a role in the severity of tissue response and granulation tissue formation. Collaboration between scientific communities is needed to improve understanding and enhance the long-term treatment effectiveness of lung-implantable devices.