HIGHLY SELECTIVE DEVASCULARIZATION FOR BLEEDING ESOPHAGOGASTRIC VARICES

Between 1975 and 1984, 419 patients with bleeding oesophagogastric var ices were subjected to the simplified operation of highly selective de vascularization. All but three were available for follow-up at 5-10 ye ars. The overall mortality rates for urgent and elective operation wer e 8 and 2 per cent respectively. The overall recurrent bleeding rates at 1, 5 and 10 years were 8 per cent, 13 per cent (15 per cent of surv ivors) and 17 per cent (24 per cent of survivors). The overall surviva l rates at 1, 5 and 10 years were 87, 76 and 57 per cent. Recurrent bl eeding was usually controlled by endoscopic sclerotherapy and less oft en by reoperation. Highly selective devascularization controlled bleed ing in emergency and elective situations without compromising hepatic function.