Clinical experience with silicone rubber grafts as shunts in portal hypertension

We report the use of a woven silicone rubber graft as an alternative prosthesis for a shunt in 8 patients with portal hypertension. Four patients were operated on as emergencies and 4 electively. In 4 cases the graft was used as a standard mesocaval H graft, in 2 as a portocaval H graft and in 2 cases it was used to simplify the Warren selective distal splenorenal shunt. The material has properties which make it a superior graft to existing prostheses and autogenous vein. Our results confirm the experience of others, that the poor risk patients do badly whatever form of shunt is performed, and of those who survive, the total portal shunt carries the risk of postoperative encephalopathy.