3D Printing a New Type of Airway Stent Image Credit: Komsan Loonprom / Shutterstock.com A new type of 3D printed airway stent could make treating upper airway obstructions quicker and safer. Obstruction of central airways and the impairment of airflow that results from it is a major cause of death in surgery, especially for patients suffering from lung cancer, and because of a major rise in this disease, cases of central airway obstruction (CAO) are also on the rise. This narrowing — or stenosis — of the trachea and the passageways that lead from it to the lungs can be combated through the insertion of a stent to widen the passages and restore airflow.