To maintain or reestablish an adequate airway in a patient with tracheobronchial narrowing coming from various causes, we constructed self-expanding metallic stents the same way Gianturco did, using them in 2 patients after an experimental study with rabbits. Twenty stents(10mm in diameter fully expanded and 20mm in length) were introduced into the trachea or bronchis of 10 Newzealand rabbits(weight, 2.5-3.0Kg)through a 8.5 French Teflon sheath. No difficulties were encountered in the placement of the stents. At follow-up(4-12 weeks), no stent showed migration. Three rabbits died of pneumonia or bronchial perforation. Histologically, mucosal inflammation was noted at the sites of stent placement, and stent wires were covered by proliferated epithelium with intact cilia. During the last 4 months, 2 stents were used in 2 patients, one in a patient with endobronchial tudobronchial tuberculosis(3.0cm in length and 1.0cm in diameter fully expanded)and the other(3.0cm in lenght and 1.5cm in diameter) in a patient with a subglottic mass. In both patients the stents were successfully placed. Just after the placement of the stents, dyspnea subsided in both patients, and there was no mortality or morbidity. These stents seem to be effective in the treatment of tracheobronchial stenosis, tracheomalacia, and airway collapse following tracheal reconsturction.