Js. Hsieh et al., PORTOGRAPHIC EVALUATION FOR RECURRENT ESOPHAGOGASTRIC VARICES FOLLOWING DEVASCULARIZATION SURGERY, Cardiovascular and interventional radiology, 19(1), 1996, pp. 21-26
Purpose: To investigate, by transhepatic portography, the changes in p
ortosystemic collaterals and recurrent esophagogastric varices after d
evascularization surgery. Methods: Thirty-five patients, who had under
gone devascularization surgery 2-8 years previously, underwent follow-
up portography and the collaterals and drainage routes were compared w
ith preoperative portography results, Results: Newly formed collateral
s were present in 30 of 35 patients and the origins and drainage route
s differed from preoperative ones. Most common were new collaterals ar
ising from the junction of the portal and superior mesenteric veins; t
he next most frequent arose from a main portal branch, the portal trun
k, or the superior mesenteric vein. New collaterals with recurrent var
ices were seen in 20 patients and without varices in 10; 5 patients ha
d no collaterals or varices. Conclusion: Since the development of new
collaterals is common in portal hypertensive patients following devasc
ularization surgery, regular follow-up for recurrent varices is necess
ary.