title: Efficacy of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt to prevent total portal vein thrombosis in cirrhotic patients awaiting for liver transplantation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Complete portal vein thrombosis (PVT) may complicate orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT), increasing its technical difficulty and the transfusion requirements and as well as affecting survival in some cases. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) prevents total portal vein occlusion in patients with partial PVT.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of TIPS to prevent total portal vein occlusion among patients listed for OLT.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed the clinical records of 15 consecutive patients with partial PVT who underwent TIPS before OLT. The control group consisted of 8 transplanted patients without TIPS but partial PVT diagnosed before OLT. Portal vein patency at surgery, ischemia time, and transfusion requirements during OLT, and survival thereafter were compared between both groups. The main complications were also compared: mortality after TIPS (from TIPS placement to OLT), intraoperative technical complications, and technical complications during the 6 months after OLT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Clinical characteristics at the time of OLT were similar between the groups. No relevant complications were observed after TIPS; all patients underwent transplantation. One- and 5-year actuarial survival rates were similar in both groups (92% and 85% in TIPS-group versus 100 and 75% in the control group, respectively). No differences in transfusion requirement, duration of ischemia, and frequency of technical complications during and after OLT were observed between the groups. The portal vein was patent at surgery in all TIPS patients and 4 of 8 (50%) in the control group (P = .008).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TIPS may prevent PVT in liver transplantation candidates with partial PVT.
authors.affiliation: Liver Unit and CIBERehd (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas), Clinica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain. ddavola@unav.es
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: D'Avola
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Bilbao
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zozaya
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pardo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rotellar
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iñarrairaegui
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Quiroga
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sangro
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Herrero
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D008875:Middle Aged; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000503:physiopathology; D019168:Portasystemic Shunt, Transjugular Intrahepatic / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014654:Vascular Patency; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014850:Waiting Lists