[Use of direct portal vein puncture portography with modified TIPS treatment in patients with portal hypertension and gastro-esophageal varices bleeding].
OBJECTIVE
To explore a better procedure for transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) in order to improve its safety and to extend its indications.


METHODS
To puncture the right portal branch under sonographic guidance in 20 patients with portal hypertension and gastro-esophageal bleeding. The Teflon sheath with gold marker was put into the portal vein; anterior and lateral portography was made, portal pressure was measured and the gastric coronal vein was embolized. The gold marker was put into the portal vein puncture site and the Rups-100 was guided under the gold marker during the TIPS puncture procedure. Anterior and lateral portography was again made to make sure the puncture site was 2 cm away from the portal vein bifurcation. In some cases a 10F sheath was used to suck the thrombosis in the portal vein, and a balloon was used to dilate the parenchyma channel and then a stent was released smoothly.


RESULTS
20 reformed TIPS were successfully performed on all patients and their gastric-esophageal bleedings were controlled immediately. 37 punctures were made in 20 of those cases; the average puncture per patient was 1.85+/-0.67, lower than that of the traditional method. The pressure of the portal vein declined from (30.5+/-1.1) mmHg to (16.9+/-0.9) mmHg, P < 0.05, showing that the difference of portal vein pressure before and after the reformed TIPS was significant. 25 stents were placed, and no complications occurred during the procedure in any of the cases.


CONCLUSIONS
Direct portal vein puncture portography and gold marker guided TIPS procedure is feasible and safe; the indications of TIPS could be further extended.
Department of Radiology, Ditan Hospital, Beijing 100011, China. drlcq@sina.com
Chang-qing
CQ
Li
Dong-hai
DH
Xu
Dao-zhen
DZ
Xu
Hong-lu
HL
Li
Jian-guo
JG
Chu
Xin-min
XM
Li
Yi
Y
Ma
Qing-hong
QH
Jing
D000328:Adult; D004932:Esophageal and Gastric Varices / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011170:Portasystemic Shunt, Surgical / Q000379:methods*; D011172:Portography