Improved long-term survival following complete eradication of esophageal varices by sclerotherapy

BAGKGROUND/AIMS: Conflicting results have been reported concerning the effe ct of endoscopic injection sclerotherapy upon the long-term survival of cir rhotic patients with esophageal varix. The recurrence and rebleeding of eso phageal varices seems to be an important factor influencing long-term survi val. we investigated the long-term survival of patients after complete erad ication of esophageal varices. METHODOLOGY: Forty patients treated by endoscopic injection sclerotherapy f or acute esophageal variceal bleeding were studied. The recurrence rate of varices and the long-term survival of patients in whom complete eradication of esophageal varices was obtained were compared with those of patients in whom the eradication of varices was incomplete. RESULTS: The frequency of the recurrence/deterioration rate of varices and rebleeding in the complete eradication group was significantly lower than t hat in the incomplete eradication group (10.7% vs. 100%, 0% vs. 58.3%, resp ectively, p<0.01). Accumulated 5-year survival rate of the complete eradica tion group was significantly higher than that of the incomplete eradication group (68.2% vs. 43.2%, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Complete eradication of esophageal varices by endoscopic injec tion sclerotherapy is effective both in preventing variceal re-bleeding and in improving the survival of cirrhotic patients with esophageal varices.