Nonsurgical Treatment of Variceal Bleeding

Patients with cirrhosis, especially those who have a platelet count of less than 100,000, who are considered compliant, and have no contraindications to beta-blocker therapy, should have a screening endoscopy to ascertain the presence of esophageal varices. Patients with medium to large esophageal varices who are appropriate candidates should be placed on a nonselective beta-blocker (propranolol hyrdochloride, nadolol, timolol maleate) for the prevention of initial variceal hemorrhage. Patients presenting with acute variceal hemorrhage, as determined endoscopically, should be treated with a combination of vasoactive drugs and endoscopic therapy (sclerotherapy or variceal ligation) for the control of acute variceal bleeding and the prevention of early rebleeding. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) should be reserved for failures of initial medical therapy. After successful control of initial variceal bleeding is reached, the rebleeding rate approaches 70% in most studies, with the highest risk period being in the first 6 months after control of the index bleed is obtained. Therefore, all patients should be placed on therapy to prevent recurrent variceal bleeding. Options include pharmacologic therapy, endoscopic therapy, and combinations of endoscopic and pharmacologic therapy. TIPS, surgical shunts, and liver transplantation should be reserved for special circumstances and in general, should only be considered for failures of initial medical therapy.