Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) in patients with refractory ascites: effect on body weight and Child-Pugh score.
OBJECTIVE
This study suggests that patients with medically refractory ascites treated with transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) may have improved in overall clinical status.


METHODS
We performed a retrospective study of 35 patients with medically refractory ascites treated with TIPS. Body weight, ascites, and Child-Pugh score were assessed at baseline, at 2 months, and after a mean 8.8-month follow-up interval.


RESULTS
After TIPS, there was significant improvement in Child-Pugh score from 9.7+/-1.5 to 8.2+/-2.3. Ascites completely resolved or improved in 23 of 24 patients (96%) who had long term follow-up. Two months after TIPS, there was a significant decrease in weight of 6.1 kg corresponding to a loss of ascites. Between 2 and 8.8 months, there was a significant mean weight gain of 5.5 kg.


CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that patients treated with medically refractory ascites with TIPS may have improvement in overall clinical status, as measured by increase in lean body mass and improvement in Child-Pugh score.
Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA.
J F
JF
Trotter
P V
PV
Suhocki
D C
DC
Rockey
D000328:Adult; D001201:Ascites / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D001835:Body Weight; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019168:Portasystemic Shunt, Transjugular Intrahepatic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors