Background: The most dramatic complication of portal hypertension in cirrhotic patients is oesophageal variceal bleeding. Moreover, patients with bleeding unresponsive to medical and endoscopic treatment have a poor prognosis.
Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of early transjugular intra-hepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) in patients with refractory variceal bleeding.
Patients and methods: TIPS was performed for 28 patients (17 were stage Child C), successfully in 26. Variceal bleeding was controlled in all but one successfully stented patient.
Results: There was no mortality associated with the procedure. The two patients with a failure of TIPS insertion died of persistent bleeding in the first 48 h after failed TIPS. The 40-day mortality rate was 25%. Five patients died (one from persistent bleeding from gastric varices and four from multi-organ failure). Using multivariate analysis, the only independent factor associated with early mortality was the total bilirubin value. Fifteen surviving patients were listed for liver transplantation: four deaths occurred, eight patients were transplanted in the 6 months after TIPS and three are still waiting. Among the six patients who survived but were ineligible for transplantation, two died and four are still alive. Two episodes of early rebleeding and eight of late rebleeding occurred. Actuarial survival was 75% at one year and 52% at two years.
Conclusions: Early TIPS is an effective rescue therapy for controlling refractory variceal bleeding.