A choanal atresia stent has two curved hollow tubes 1 bridged by a flexible transverse tube 2. It is placed into position by two fine guides 8 that are passed through the nose and brought out the mouth. The clip 7 at the guide end is clipped onto the clip 6 at the tapered end 5 of the stent. The stent is then passed from the mouth through the back of the nose to the front of the nose. Further movement is arrested by the transverse tube 2 at the nasal septum. The stent is secured in place by sliding two short connected tubes 9, 10 onto the two long hollow tubes 1. Fixation is achieved through an adjustable catch mechanism 4. Excess tubing is trimmed off. The stents are removed without general anaesthesia by cutting only one long tube 1 below the level where the thread 3 is fixed.
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