[Surgical procedures in portal hypertension (author's transl)]

Successful therapy of portal hypertension and especially bleeding oesophageal varices can only be achieved by decompressing surgical measures. An emergency porto-caval shunt has the advantage of short operating time and optimal decompression. Blocking procedures are only indicated in rare cases. In the time free of bleeding spleno-renal-anastomosis is the procedure of choice. Postoperative encephalopathy is still a menace in surgery of portal hypertension.