Selection of the treatment for esophagogastric varices. Analyses of collateral structures by endoscopic ultrasonography

Radiological and Surgical Treatments of Portal Hypertension

Interventions for portal hypertension are continuously evolving and expanding beyond the realm of medical management. When complications such as varices and ascites persist despite conservative interventions, procedures including transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt creation, transvenous obliteration, portal vein recanalization, splenic artery embolization, surgical shunt creation, and devascularization are all potential interventions detailed in this article. Selection of the optimal procedure to address the underlying cause, treat symptoms, and, in some cases, bridge to liver transplantation depends on the specific etiology of portal hypertension and the patient's comorbidities.

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided diagnosis and treatment of gastric varices

Gastric varices (GV) represent a common and severe complication in patients with portal hypertension, commonly seen in patients with cirrhosis and severe pancreatic disease. Endoscopic ultrasonography is a safe and efficacious approach that can perform real-time ultrasonic scanning and intervention for the gastrointestinal submucosa, portal vein and its tributaries, and collateral circulations during direct endoscopic observation. Recently, various studies have been published about endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided management of GV, mainly including diagnosis, treatment, and prognostic analysis. This article reviews published articles and guidelines to present the development process and current management of EUS-guided GV procedures.

Endoscopic color Doppler ultrasonography for esophagogastric varices

Esophagogastric varices are considered to be the most common complication in patients with portal hypertension. Endoscopic ultrasonography not only visualizes the surface of the varices but also provides detailed information about their internal structure. The direction of blood flow can be determined and its velocity measured only via endoscopic color Doppler ultrasonography (ECDUS). This can show graphically esophageal varices, paraesophageal veins, and passageways in esophageal variceal patients and gastric varices, perigastric collateral veins in gastric variceal patients. It is important to evaluate the hemodynamics of the portal venous system when treating the esophago-gastric varices. ECDUS is a useful modality for the evaluation of the detailed hemodynamics and the therapeutic effects of esophago-gastric varices.

Laparoscopic surgery in the management of hypersplenism and esophagogastric varices: our initial experiences

BACKGROUND

Owing to recent advances in laparoscopic surgery, devascularization of the upper stomach with splenectomy (Spx) or Hassab's procedure (Has) as well as Spx for patients with portal hypertension have been attempted laparoscopically in some facilities, the results of which have been reported. This article describes the authors' surgical techniques and their results.

METHODS

Between August 1999 and August 2010, the authors treated 110 cases of portal hypertension with Spx or Has. Among these patients, 56 who simultaneously underwent additional major operations were eliminated from the study, leaving 54 patients eligible. They included 38 with open surgeries and 16 with laparoscopic surgeries, which consisted of 10 splenectomies and 6 Has operations. The perioperative data for the 2 groups were compared.

RESULTS

Purely laparoscopic Spx (L-Spx) was completed for 9 patients. Conversion from laparoscopic to hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery (HALS) was necessary for 1 patient because of poor visualization. Operative time was significantly longer in L-Spx than in the open method. Postoperative hospital stays were shorter for L-Spx. HALS was used for all 6 laparoscopic Has patients. There was no conversion from the laparoscopic to the open method. Operative time was significantly longer for laparoscopic Has than for open Has. Postoperative complication rates were significantly reduced, and postoperative hospital stays were significantly shorter for laparoscopic Has.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the data are still preliminary, laparoscopic surgery for patients with portal hypertension may prove to be a successful strategy.

Modified devascularization surgery for isolated gastric varices assessed by endoscopic ultrasonography

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to assess the role of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) in the surgical management of isolated gastric varices (IGV), and to report the authors' experience in the treatment of IGV with modified devascularization surgery.

METHODS

In this study, 26 cirrhotic patients with IGV were treated with devascularization surgery for variceal hemorrhage. Preoperatively, percutaneous transhepatic portography (PTP) and EUS were used to determine the mode of therapy for IGV. Fundectomy was performed for 14 patients with fundic IGV, whereas 12 patients with cardiac IGV underwent proximal gastrectomy.

RESULTS

A significantly higher proportion of patients with cardiac varices showed grade 3 IGV on preoperative EUS than those who had fundic varices (p < 0.05). No major complications were observed during or after the operation, and only one patient died of prolonged shock and massive transfusion. Postoperatively, gastric varices had been eradicated completely in 25 of 26 patients, as determined by EUS study. During a mean follow-up period of 50 months, two patients had recurrent varices without bleeding, as demonstrated by EUS. The overall 5-year survival rate for the fundic IGV group was 67.9%, whereas that for the cardiac IGV group was 64.3% (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed that devascularization surgery is highly effective for the prevention of recurrent bleeding from IGV and provides an alternative treatment method. Preoperatively, EUS is very helpful in detailed devascularization of patients with specific IGV, and may be used also for postoperative follow-up evaluation.

New operative method for fundal variceal bleeding: fundectomy with periesophagogastric devascularization

Cirrhotic patients with gastric fundal bleeding occasionally require operative intervention. Fundal variceal bleeding may be controlled by performing a fundectomy in addition to periesophagogastric devascularization. For 23 patients with cirrhosis, preoperative nonsurgical intervention alone could not achieve definitive control of variceal bleeding from the gastric fundus, and periesophagogastric devascularization with the fundectomy--specifically resection of the varix-bearing lesion in the fundus--was performed. Direct inspection and palpation determined the area for the fundectomy, and resection was limited to the engorged varix-bearing area. The overall mortality rate was 26.1%. There were two postoperative deaths (18.2%) among 11 patients in the elective operation group and four deaths (33.3%) among 12 patients in the emergency operation group ( p > 0.05). The mortality rates among class A, B, and C patients, following the Child-Pugh classification for hepatic functional reserve, were 0% (0/4), 23.1% (3/13), and 50.0% (3/6), respectively ( p > 0.05). The patients who died had been transfused preoperatively with a mean of 13.0 +/- 10.5 units, and those who survived received a mean of 6.00 +/- 5.96 units ( p > 0.05). Patients who were successfully stabilized by preoperative endoscopic intervention had significantly lower mortality ( p < 0.001). During follow-up there was no recurrent bleeding from gastric varices, and there was only one case (4.35%) of hemorrhage from esophageal varices. Hence, periesophagogastric devascularization and fundectomy offers an alternative operative method for cirrhotic patients with variceal hemorrhaging from the gastric fundus.

EUS in cirrhotic patients with and without prior variceal hemorrhage in comparison with noncirrhotic control subjects

BACKGROUND

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) was used to evaluate cirrhotic patients with and without prior variceal hemorrhage. The findings were compared with those of EUS in noncirrhotic control subjects to determine EUS features indicative of cirrhosis and of a risk for variceal hemorrhage.

METHODS

Patients with cirrhosis undergoing indicated endoscopic screening for varices or surveillance after endoscopic therapy for variceal hemorrhage were studied and compared with healthy noncirrhotic control patients undergoing EUS for benign conditions.

RESULTS

Sixty-six cirrhotic patients (31 with prior hemorrhage) and 32 control patients were studied. Nonhemorrhage cirrhotic patients had more severe liver disease by Child's class (p = 0.02) and less beta-adrenergic blocker usage (p < 0.0001). Paraesophageal varices were detected in 97% of cirrhotic patients and 3% of control patients (p < 0.001) and were a more sensitive predictor of cirrhosis than varices at endoscopy (74%, p < 0.0001). Azygos vein and thoracic duct diameters, and gastric mucosa and submucosa thickness were greater for cirrhotic than control patients (p < 0.001). More hemorrhage patients had large (5 mm or greater) paraesophageal varices (odds ratio 3.1: 95% CI [1.1, 8.3]; p < 0.05) and paragastric varices (odds ratio 3.7: 95% CI [1.3, 10.2]; p = 0.01). Paraesophageal varix size correlated with ascites (p = 0.03) and, for nonhemorrhage patients, with Child's class (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Paraesophageal and paragastric varices correlate with the presence and severity of liver disease and portal hypertension. These data support the hypothesis that large paraesophageal and paragastric varices (5 mm or greater) may be risk factors for variceal hemorrhage, an observation that merits further prospective study. Cirrhosis causes dilation of the azygos vein and thoracic duct and thickening of gastric mucosa and submucosa.

Transvenous sclerotherapy for huge oesophagogastric varices using open injection sclerotherapy

BACKGROUND

The optimum procedure for long-term management of oesophagogastric varices when endoscopic sclerotherapy or ligation fails is yet to be established. This report describes a new procedure for treating huge oesophagogastric varices by open injection sclerotherapy.

METHODS

Twenty-three patients with huge oesophagogastric varices underwent laparotomy and devascularization of the upper stomach with splenectomy. The left gastric vein was catheterized for repeated injection of 5 per cent ethanolamine oleate during the postoperative period.

RESULTS

In all patients, the varices were eradicated after a mean of 3 sessions of sclerotherapy. There were no deaths or major complications during the mean follow-up period of 41 months. Small recurring varices in two patients were treated successfully by endoscopic sclerotherapy and interventional radiology.

CONCLUSION

Open injection sclerotherapy is an effective and safe procedure for the treatment of huge oesophagogastric varices.

Endoscopic ultrasonographic signs of portal hypertension in cirrhosis

BACKGROUND

Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) has been suggested to investigate portal hypertension (PHT). We compared EUS and endoscopy in the exploration of PHT in cirrhosis.

METHODS

In 58 patients with cirrhosis and 16 controls, the presence of esophageal varices and gastric varices was recorded by both endoscopy and EUS, peridigestive varices and perforating veins by EUS. Relationships of patterns with each other and with clinical and biologic data were evaluated.

RESULTS

In patients with cirrhosis: esophageal varices were found by endoscopy and EUS in 88% and 55% of cirrhotic cases (p < 0.01), and gastric varices in 17% and 41%, respectively (p < 0.01). Perforating veins, below the gastroesophageal junction, were diagnosed by EUS in 40% of cases and never in controls. A significant relationship was found between perforating veins and the following patterns: peri-digestive varices, gastric varices at EUS, and esophageal varices at endoscopy. In patients with and without cirrhosis: after multivariate analysis, only esophageal varices at endoscopy were independently related to cirrhosis. However, in Child-Pugh class A patients, both esophageal varices and perforating veins were independently related to cirrhosis (diagnostic accuracy, 92%).

CONCLUSIONS

EUS is of limited value in the diagnosis of cirrhosis because it gives little additional information to upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. The relationships between perforating veins, varices, and peridigestive varices support the hypothesis that perforating veins are important in the pathogenesis of esophageal and gastric varices.