For the first time in UT Of Jammu and Kashmir, Airway stenting procedure (Y-SEMS Tracheobronchial stent) was done with the flexible video bronchoscope system at SKIMS, Soura by the Department of Pulmonary Medicine team including Director SKIMS & EOSG, Prof. Parvaiz A Koul, Prof. Sonaullah Shah, Dr. Nazia Mehfooz, and Dr. Zubair Ahmad Thoker) supported by Anesthesia team headed by Dr. Altaf Hussain Mir and Dr. Irfan Hussain Dar of  Anesthesiology alongwith the team of technicians.

HOD General Medicine informed that this procedure was done on a 35 year old male who is a case of operated CA oesophagus with nodal reoccurrence compressing his left main bronchus causing collapse of his left lung with hypoxemic Respiratory failure.

In view of non affordability and difficulty in transporting this patient outside of UT of J&K due to severe respiratory failure for this procedure, the Pulmonary medicine team decided to conduct this procedure at SKIMS Soura. After arranging all the logistic support, the procedure was successfully performed. The patient is now planned for radio therapy, he added.

He further said that routinely this procedure is done by rigid bronchoscope system under general anesthesia. Previously patients were referred to outside for airway stenting.

These types of palliative procedures are important in giving quality life to such patients and will be continued by the Department in future to avoid referral outside UT of J&K.

Director SKIMS, Dr. Parvaiz A Koul congratulated the Department for conducting the procedure and assured support on behalf of the administration for such endeavors in future.