Predictive Factors for Treatment Failure after Peritoneovenous Shunt for Hepatic Ascites

Peritoneovenous shunt (PVS) is used to treat refractory ascites. Here, we identify predictive factors for inhospital death after PVS placement. Thirty-five patients with refractory ascites related to liver cirrhosis and/or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who underwent PVS placement between February 2005 and February 2013 were included in the study. Group A comprised 13 patients for whom the PVS placement outcome was inhospital death. Group B comprised 22 patients who were discharged after PVS placement without complications. Patient background and laboratory data were analyzed to identify risk factors for inhospital death. HCC prevalence in Groups A and B was 92 and 55 per cent, respectively (P = 0.02) and that of portal venous tumor thrombus (PVTT) was 54 and 9 per cent, respectively (P = 0.003). The mean des-γ-carboxy prothrombin (DCP) level in both groups was 15,553 ± 49,330 and 787 ± 2600 mAU/mL, respectively (P = 0.009). Multivariate analysis revealed that the presence of PVTT was the only independent predictor of inhospital death (P = 0.007). The presence of PVTT, HCC, and elevated des-γ-carboxy prothrombin levels are predictors of inhospital death after PVS placement. Therefore, PVS should not be used to treat refractory ascites in patients with these predictors, particularly with PVTT.