The prevention of recurrent variceal haemorrhage by chronic injection sclerotherapy

Forty eight patients who have survived admission with acute variceal haemorrhage have been readmitted and entered into a programme of chronic injection sclerotherapy to prevent recurrent variceal haemorrhage. Two hundred and nineteen elective courses of injections were performed at fibreoptic endoscopy with minor complications occurring in six patients. Twenty three patients rebled on 33 occasions but in only five instances did haemorrhage occur following variceal obliteration. With 67 per cent of patients surviving one year, this treatment option offers a satisfactory means of preventing recurrent haemorrhage when variceal obliteration is achieved.