Elective treatment of bleeding varices with the Sugiura operation over 10 years

A 10-year experience with the devascularization operation described by Sugiura is reported here. The operation was performed electively in 100 patients in whom it was not possible to place a shunt, all of whom had different kinds of hepatopathies (63 Child's A, 32 Child's B, and 5 Child's C). In 15 patients, the procedure was done in one stage (6% operative mortality, 1 patient), and, in 51, it was performed in two stages. Eight deaths were recorded in the 63 patients of the Child's A group, with a total of 111 operations. The operative mortality rate for this group was 12% and, as related to the number of operative procedures, 7% (8 of 111 operations). Seventeen patients were not considered for a second stage. Rebleeding in the early postoperative period was 4% and at long-term 6%. Incapacitating encephalopathy was found in 2 of the 71 surviving patients (3%). Survival (as determined by Kaplan-Meier tests) was 75% (1 year), 70% (5 years), and 69.2% (10 years). Six esophageal fistulas were observed secondary to transection. The Sugiura operation is an excellent complement to the therapeutic armamentarium used to treat portal hypertension, with low rebleeding and encephalopathy rates.