Oesophageal stent technology unveiled

A YORKSHIRE-BASED firm has unveiled the world's-first biodegradable oesophageal stent, which aims to reduce costs, prevent discomfort and reduce infection. The BD Stent dissolves in 11-12 weeks in the same way as dissolvable stitches and can be used for treating narrowing and tightening of the oesophagus, which until now has traditionally been done with balloon dilation. This procedure can be uncomfortable and has to be repeated each time the oesophagus contracts, necessitating repeated hospital admissions at a high cost to the NHS. Ian Aaron of manufacturer, UK Medical, said: "Our team has heard a lot of positive feedback about the BD Stent. It is a very impressive piece of technology that provides real benefit to the patient, as well as providing long-term cost savings to the NHS. We never lose sight of the human story at the heart of every request for medical products and we put customers and patients first."