Portal hypertension

Many advances in the management of portal hypertension and variceal hemorrhage have occurred during the last 10 years. Effective therapy for primary prevention of variceal hemorrhage is now available in the form of nonselective beta-blockers. Active bleeding should be managed with terlipressin, somatostatin or its analogues, and endoscopic therapy; TIPS and surgery are reserved as salvage therapy for patients who fail endoscopic treatment. Survivors of a variceal hemorrhage should be evaluated for liver transplantation. Specific treatment may be provided with EVL while these patients await transplantation. Patients who fail endoscopic treatment may be treated by TIPS or surgery.