[Portal circulation following Warren's operation. Long-term control using computerized tomography]

Computed tomography with contrast injection was carried out in 18 patients who had undergone a Warren procedure for portal hypertension due to cirrhosis of the liver more than five years previously. The results show that it is not possible to drain only a part of the venous portal territory. The portal circulation does not consist of two portions, with different pressure relationships. Pressure difference across the splenorenal anastomosis is greater than that into the mediastinal veins. Postoperative development of a hepatofugal circulation continues for a long period and is not confined to the early phase only. This phenomenon is, however, not uniform. In particular, there are variations in the extent of the collateral circulation and in the maintenance of liver blood flow.