title: Early and long-term clinical and radiological follow-up results of expanded-polytetrafluoroethylene-covered stent-grafts for transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt procedures.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to assess the therapeutic efficacy and immediate and long-term safety of expanded-tetrafluoroethylene covered stent-grafts for transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts in patients with portal hypertension-related complications. A cohort of 56 patients suffering from severe portal hypertension-related complications underwent implantation of an expanded-polytetrafluoroethylene-covered stent-graft. All patients suffered from severe liver cirrhosis graded Child-Pugh A (n=8; 16%), B (n=13; 21%) or C (n=35; 63%). In 44 patients, the stent-graft was placed during the initial TIPS procedure (de novo TIPS); in the other 12 patients, the stent-graft was placed to repermeabilize the previously placed bare stent (TIPS revision). Follow-up was performed with clinical assessment, duplex ultrasound and, if abnormal or inconclusive, with invasive venography and pressure measurements. Per- en immediate post-procedural complications occurred in four patients (4/56, 7%). None of them was lethal. During follow-up, stent occlusion appeared in one patient and stenosis in two; no recurrence of bleeding was noted in all patients treated for variceal bleeding (n=28), and 24 of the 28 patients (86%) suffering from refractory ascites and/or hepatic hydrothorax were free of regular paracenteses and/or drainage of pleural effusion after shunt creation. The 30-day and global mortality for the total study population (n=56) was, respectively, 7% (n=4) and 28.5% (n=16). In the patient subgroup with variceal bleeding (n=28), 30-day mortality was 3.5% (n=1) and global mortality 14.2% (n=4). In the ascites and/or hydrothorax subgroup (n=28), 8.1% (n=3) mortality at 30 days was found and global mortality was 32.4% (n=12). In 10 patients of the 56 studied patients (18%), isolated hepatic encephalopathy occurred, which was lethal in 4 (Child C) patients (7%). Three of these four patients died within the 1st month after TIPS placement. A very high primary patency rate of TIPS can be obtained long-term after implantation of an e-PTFE-covered stent-graft, leading to a definitive resolution of portal hypertension-related complications. The incidence of TIPS-induced hepatic encephalopathy is acceptable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Hospitals Gasthuisberg, Herestraat 49, Leuven, Belgium. geert.maleux@uz.kuleuven.ac.be
authors.forename: Geert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maleux
authors.forename: Frederik
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nevens
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wilmer
authors.forename: Sam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heye
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Verslype
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thijs
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wilms
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001201:Ascites / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004932:Esophageal and Gastric Varices / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000601:surgery; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000209:etiology; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D006876:Hydrothorax / Q000601:surgery; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000601:surgery; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000601:surgery; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene; D017082:Portal Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D019168:Portasystemic Shunt, Transjugular Intrahepatic / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015607:Stents / Q000009:adverse effects; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene