Narrow-diameter portacaval shunts for management of variceal bleeding

✍ Scribed by John Craig Collins; Eric B. Rypins; I. James Sarfeh

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1994
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 913 KB
• Volume: 18
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0364-2313
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00294403

✦ Synopsis

Over the past decade, we have developed and refined a method for partial portosystemic shunting for the control of bleeding esophageal varices in alcoholic cirrhotic patients. The narrow-diameter interposition portacaval H-graft using 8 mm polytetrafluoroethylene has been performed in 32 patients at our institution with low operative mortality (6.3%) and nearly complete cessation of variceal bleeding (96.7%) over a mean follow-up period of 43 months. In comparison with total shunts, diminished rates of postshunt encephalopathy (13% versus 40%) have been observed. Prograde portal blood flow has been preserved in 90% of 30 patients studied by perioperative portography. Shunt patency with continued prograde flow has been demonstrated at up to 9 years of follow-up. Investigators at three other centers have studied partial shunting using substantially similar techniques, with similar findings. Based on these results, we conclude that narrow-diameter shunts provide effective, long-lasting treatment for variceal hemorrhage due to portal hypertension in the alcoholic.