title: Results of portal decompression in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis.
abstract: Twenty-five patients with primary biliary cirrhosis undergoing portal decompression have been followed up for a mean of 51 months. Five patients with decompensated cirrhosis died postoperatively. Overall five year survival of 66% is comparable with that for other forms of cirrhosis but none of the long-term survivors, including three patients with a precirrhotic stage of primary biliary cirrhosis at the time of surgery, developed significant portal-systemic encephalopathy. The results suggest that portal decompression may be the therapy of choice for patients with well-compensated primary biliary cirrhosis who suffer recurrent variceal haemorrhage.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008105:Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011167:Portacaval Shunt, Surgical / Q000009:adverse effects; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011379:Prognosis