8 0 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7
PANCREATIC CYST DRAINAGE
Axios Stent and Delivery System
Boston Scientific
The Axios system from Boston Scientific provides ideal treatment for
patients suffering from pancreatitis, with attention to 2 pancreatic
fluid collections in particular: pancreatic pseudocysts and walled-off
pancreatic necrosis. The fluid that builds from an inflamed pancreas
can lead to enlarged, sometimes life-threatening cysts. Surgical treat-
ments that are available to treat these cysts include cystogastrostomy,
by which a surgeon can open a connection between the pancreas and
the stomach wall to drain the fluid directly through the GI tract, along
with similar procedures through the small intestine or duodenum.
These procedures, however, are costly and invasive and they require
longer recovery times than endoscopic treatment.
The beauty of the Axios system is that the cautery-enabled
catheter and the self-expanding metal stent are both combined into
one device on the scope. Under direct visualization via endoscopic
ultrasound (EUS), the scope is guided into the stomach and along
the lumen until it reaches the target structure — in this case, the
pancreas. Once there, the GI provider uses a generator and pump to
