title: Endoscopic variceal ligation in children.
abstract: Endoscopic variceal ligation, a mechanical mode of variceal obliteration, was used in the management of patients having extrahepatic portal vein obstruction. Fifteen patients (10 males, 5 females) had grade III varices. Their mean age was 8.13 years (range, 3 to 14 years). Obliteration was achieved in 14 patients (93.33%) after a mean number of 1.86 (range, 1 to 4) sessions. The mean number of bands required for variceal obliteration was 4.33 (range, 1 to 9). The number of bands required to obliterate each variceal column was 1.38. No patient required a blood transfusion, and there was only one recurrence of varices during the mean follow-up period of 9 months (range, 4 to 12 months). Postligation hemorrhage was encountered in one patient; there was no other complications. Endoscopic variceal ligation is an effective and safe method for early variceal obliteration in children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, SMS Medical College, Jaipur, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nijhawan
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Patni
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Rai
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Miglani
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D004932:Esophageal and Gastric Varices / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000601:surgery; D008026:Ligation; D008297:Male; D011169:Portal Vein