Alternative technique for transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt in a young child

Portosystemic shunt as a bridge to liver transplantation in infants: A comparison of two techniques

Portosystemic shunts can serve as a bridge to liver transplantation in patients with end-stage liver disease by providing portal decompression to treat life-threatening variceal bleeding and prevent recurrent episodes until an organ becomes available. The conventional TIPS procedure, however, is technically challenging to perform in infants due to the small size of their intrahepatic vasculature. We report two cases of emergent creation of portosystemic shunts as a bridge to liver transplantation in infants with life-threatening variceal bleeding using a conventional TIPS technique in the first case and a percutaneous DIPS technique in the other. Both procedures were successful at reducing the portosystemic pressure gradient and preventing further variceal bleeds until a liver transplant could be performed. The novel percutaneous DIPS procedure is a valuable alternative to the conventional TIPS in infants, as it is better suited for small or challenging intrahepatic vascular anatomy.

Surgical portosystemic shunts and the Rex bypass in children: a single-centre experience

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to illustrate the indications for, and types and outcomes of surgical portosystemic shunt (PSS) and/or Rex bypass in a single centre.

METHODS

Data were collected from children with a PSS and/or Rex bypass between 1992 and 2006 at Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York.

RESULTS

Median age at surgery was 10.7 years (range 0.3-22.0 years). Indications included: (i) refractory gastrointestinal bleeding in portal hypertension associated with (a) compensated cirrhosis (n= 12), (b) portal vein thrombosis (n= 10), (c) hepatoportal sclerosis (n= 3); (ii) refractory ascites secondary to Budd-Chiari syndrome (n= 3), and (iii) familial hypercholesterolaemia (n= 4). There were 20 distal splenorenal, four portacaval, three Rex bypass, two mesocaval, two mesoatrial and one proximal splenorenal shunts. At the last follow-up (median 2.9 years, range 0.1-14.1 years), one shunt (Rex bypass) was thrombosed. Two patients had died and two had required a liver transplant. These had a patent shunt at last imaging prior to death or transplant.

CONCLUSIONS

Portosystemic shunts and Rex bypass have been used to manage portal hypertension with excellent outcomes. In selected children with compensated liver disease, PSS may act as a bridge to liver transplantation or represent an attractive alternative.

Use of the Viatorr expanded polytetrafluoroethylene-covered stent-graft for transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt creation in children: initial clinical experience

Four children, three boys and one girl, with a median age of 9 years 8 months, underwent transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt creation with an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (e-PTFE)-covered nitinol stent. The stent-graft was successfully placed in all four patients without any complication. Clinical and biochemical improvement was noted in all four patients during follow-up. Radiological follow-up with use of duplex ultrasound showed a recurrent stenosis of the shunt 180 days after stent-graft implantation in one patient. This was treated with placement of an additional stent-graft, re-expanding completely the recurrent stenosis. In the other three patients, the stent-graft remained fully patent until the end of the study or until orthotopic liver transplantation. These preliminary results suggest that use of the Viatorr ePTFE-covered stent-graft in children is safe and feasible, with potentially the same high patency rate and improved clinical outcome as reported in adult patients.