Acute obstructions of the gastric outlet, the duodenum, or the large bowel require rapid treatment to relieve symptoms of retention or ileus. Large-caliber stents of 16 to 22 mm offer a new non-surgical alternative for treating these patients with minimal risks and high success rates. For gastroduodenal outlet obstructions palliated by self-expanded metal stents, clinical success rates are in the range of 80-100 %. Preoperative treatment of colorectal obstructions successfully relieves acute symptoms of ileus in 87-100 % allowing primary anastomosis and thereby reducing the costs caused by multiple operations and the need of intensive care by approximately 25 %. It is the purpose of this review to familiarize the reader with the indications, possibilities, and limits of intestinal stenting.