title: Shunt surgery versus endoscopic sclerotherapy for variceal hemorrhage: late results of a randomized trial.
abstract: Between September 1982 and April 1988, 60 cirrhotic patients with prior variceal hemorrhage were randomized to undergo the placement of an elective shunt (distal splenorenal: 26; nonselective: 4) or long-term endoscopic sclerotherapy (n = 30). Eighty-six percent of patients had alcoholic cirrhosis, and 33% were classified as Child's class C. After a mean follow-up of 87 months, 60% of patients undergoing sclerotherapy and 17% of shunt patients experienced rebleeding (p < 0.001). Shunt patients have survived longer than those who had sclerotherapy (6-year survival rates of 53% and 26%, respectively; p < 0.05). In part because of the wide geographic distribution of patients, only 4 of 13 patients in whom sclerotherapy failed (31%) could undergo salvage by shunt surgery. Although hepatic portal perfusion was better maintained after sclerotherapy, there were no major differences between the groups in terms of post-therapy hepatic or psychoneurologic function. In a predominantly alcoholic cirrhotic patient population (half non-urban), the results of elective shunt surgery were superior to those of chronic endoscopic sclerotherapy with respect to the prevention of recurrent variceal hemorrhage and survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha 68198-3280.
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Rikkers
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Burnett
authors.forename: K N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Buchi
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Cormier
mesh_terms: D004932:Esophageal and Gastric Varices / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000150:complications; D015911:Sclerotherapy; D013164:Splenorenal Shunt, Surgical; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors