Vena cava stenting and portorenal shunt in Budd-Chiari syndrome: Combination of the 'modern' and the 'classical'

We have treated a 33-year-old Budd-Chiari patient (due to antiphospholipid syndrome) with a history of myocardial infarction by placing a vascular ste nt in the inferior vena cava and performing a portorenal shunt with three o bjectives: (1) to perform a shunt operation on a Budd-Chiari patient with g ood hepatic functional reserve, (2) to avoid a thoracotomy and manipulation of the heart in a patient with a cardiac thrombus and a history of myocard ial infarction and (3) to avoid a synthetic graft in a patient with antipho spholipid syndrome. Vena cava stenting and portorenal shunt make a useful c ombination which should be included in the armamentarium of the hepatobilia ry surgeon. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.