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Preferred Treatment for Recurrent Variceal Hemorrhage in the Patient With Well-Compensated Cirrhosis

David R. Elwood, MD; James J. Pomposelli, MD, PhD; Elizabeth A. Pomfret, MD, PhD; W. David Lewis, MD; Roger L. Jenkins, MD

Arch Surg. 2006;141:385-388.

Hypothesis  Distal splenorenal shunt (DSRS) is a safe and effective treatment for patients with Child-Pugh class A and B cirrhosis with recurrent variceal hemorrhage after failed transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt.

Design  Retrospective case review.

Setting  Hepatobiliary surgery and liver transplantation department in a tertiary referral medical center.

Patients  Between August 1, 1985, and May 1, 2005, 119 patients with Child-Pugh class A and B cirrhosis underwent DSRS for recurrent variceal hemorrhage. Of these, 17 (14.3%) had thrombosed or failing transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt prior to DSRS.

Intervention  Distal splenorenal shunt for recurrent variceal hemorrhage after failure of conservative management.

Main Outcome Measures  Morbidity, mortality, and subsequent liver transplantation rate.

Results  The overall perioperative morbidity rate was 31.5%. Thirteen patients (11.7%) developed encephalopathy and 6 (5.4%) had recurrent variceal hemorrhage. Other complications included portal vein thrombosis, pancreatitis, pancreatic pseudocyst, pneumonia, and wound infection. The 30-day operative mortality rate was 6.4% (n = 7). The 1-year survival rate was 85.9%. The incidence of DSRS for failed transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt during the first 12 years of the study (1985-1997) was 11.1% (9/81). This proportion increased to 26.7% (8/30) during the second half of the study (1997-2005). During the 20-year period, 15 patients (13.5%) underwent liver transplantation a mean of 5.1 years after DSRS without an increase in morbidity or mortality after transplantation.

Conclusions  Distal splenorenal shunt may be the preferred treatment for recurrent variceal hemorrhage in the patient with well-compensated cirrhosis. In addition, DSRS does not cause increased morbidity or mortality in subsequent liver transplantation.

Author Affiliations: Division of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation, Lahey Clinic Medical Center, Burlington, Mass.