Mesocaval shunt for bleeding oesophageal varices

A total of 43 patients underwent end to side mesocaval (25 patients) or interposition shunts (18 patients) for bleeding oesophageal varices in 1970-1985. Alcoholic cirrhosis was the aetiology in 30 patients. The operation was elective in 26 and urgent or as emergencies in 17 instances. Operative mortality in elective operations was 19%. In emergency operations the bleeding was controlled in all but one patient, but the mortality was 56%. In Child's group C the mortality was also high, about 50%. During the follow-up of 18 months to 16 years there were five episodes of gastrointestinal bleeding, two of which might have been variceal. Out of the 43 patients 22 survived at least 2 years. Most of the late deaths were caused by hepatic coma; no patient died of recurrent variceal bleeding. - The two types of shunt were equally effective in lowering portal venous pressure. Two venous leg ulcers occurred after an end to side shunt. During the period under study the end to side mesocaval shunt was abandoned and from 1980 only interposition shunts have been performed in our clinic.