Endoscopic sclerotherapy versus oesophageal transection in the prevention of variceal rebleeding.
OBJECTIVE
To compare sclerotherapy with oesophageal transection in the prevention of rebleeding in patients with oesophageal varices.


METHODS
A prospective trial.


METHODS
Forty-one patients with cirrhosis and variceal bleeding.


METHODS
After recovering from an acute episode of oesophageal variceal bleeding patients were randomized into two groups. One patient was excluded. Twenty-two patients were treated with sclerotherapy (group 1) and 18 underwent an oesophageal transection (group 2), with a shorter elapsed time from randomization to treatment in group 1. Both groups were similar with regard to clinical and biochemical features and variceal size. Failure, defined in group 1 as rebleeding or incomplete eradication after four sclerotherapy sessions, occurred in five (22.7%) patients; in group 2, rebleeding occurred in two (11.1%) patients (no statistically significant difference).


CONCLUSIONS
Although the survival rate was similar in both groups, sclerotherapy is preferable to oesophageal transection because it requires a shorter duration of hospitalization and has fewer complications.
Nos
P
P
Department of Gastroenterology, University Hospital La FE, Valencia, Spain.
Sala
T
T
Pertejo
V
V
Berenguer
M
M
Garrigues
V
V
Pons
V
V
Juan
M
M
Berenguer
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004724:Endoscopy; D004932:Esophageal and Gastric Varices / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D004947:Esophagus / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D015911:Sclerotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D015996:Survival Rate; D017211:Treatment Failure