Elective splenorenal anastomosis

Thirty-six patients underwent splenorenal anastomosis for haemorrhage from oesophageal varices. Twenty-nine patients were cirrhotics and seven had extrahepatic blocks or congenital hepatic fibrosis. The patients have been followed from 16 years to 6 months. The operative mortality was 11%. Recurrent haemorrhage occurred in two patients (6%) and neurological manifestations in 38% of the patients at risk. It is concluded that splenorenal anastomosis is associated with a high degree of shunt patency.