[Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt--early experience in eleven liver cirrhosis patients]

Eleven liver cirrhosis patients with variceal bleeding and/or ascites were treated by transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt. Four of the patients were combined with hepatoma, and 2 had portal thrombosis. Ten of the patients were successfully achieved TIPS, but one patient who had portal thrombosis was failed because of portal vein occlusion; success rate of 90%. An average decrease of 14mmHg in portal vein pressure was measured in the 10 patients. All of the successful patients including 4 with hepatoma were observed the disappeared or diminished varices and ascites without technical complication. Mild encephalopathy was encountered in 2 patients but who responded well to medical therapy. Three dimension MRA before TIPS was helpful for understanding the anatomical relationship between portal vein and hepatic vein. It is concluded that TIPS is an effective and safe treatment, indicating for the patients who have uncontrollable variceal bleeding and/or ascites even with hepatoma.