PORTAL HEMODYNAMICS AFTER LARGE-VOLUME PARACENTESIS IN PATIENTS WITH LIVER-CIRRHOSIS AND TENSE ASCITES

Large-volume paracentesis with a plasma expander has been extensively evaluated and shown to be an effective and safe therapy. While hepatic and systemic hemodynamics have been studied extensively, there is lit tle information on portal hemodynamics by duplex Doppler. Portal vein diameter, portal flow velocity, and portal blood flow were measured wi th duplex Doppler in 11 cirrhotic patients before and 24 hr after larg e volume paracentesis. There were no significant changes in the portal vein diameter (9.88 +/- 2.62 mm vs 10.09 +/- 2.73 mm), portal how vel ocity (10.65 +/- 2.60 vs 10.01 +/- 2.58 cm/sec), and portal blood flow (488 +/- 288.9 vs 502 +/- 273.38 ml/min), before and 24 hr after larg e-volume paracentesis. Thus, significant changes in portal hemodynamic s do not occur after large-volume paracentesis.