Customizable airway stents—personalized medicine reaches the airways

Bronchopleural fistula (BPF) remains a difficult to manage complication following pulmonary resection with an incidence varying from 1.5% to 28% depending on etiology, surgical technique, and surgeon experiences (1). Previous publications have shown significant associated morbidity and mortality with post-surgical BPF; including intensive care unit (ICU) readmission, pneumonia, and prolonged hospital stays (2). The management of post-operative BPF has historically involved chest tube drainage of the pleural space followed by surgical closure of the fistula.