Minimally invasive ways to treat and prevent gastroesophageal portal bleeding

Aim. To analyze the results of minimally invasive techniques to prevent and treat gastroesophageal bleeding in patients with cirrhosis.

Materials and methods. The study included 997 patients with liver cirrhosis: Child-Pugh class A – 21.7%; class B – 48.8%; class C – 29.5%. Esophageal varices of Grades III–IV were diagnosed in 95.5% of the patients, while gastric varices were observed in 17.4% of the patients. The following methods were used: endoscopic ligation, endoscopic sclerotherapy, TIPS, laparoscopic azygoportal disconnection, and distal splenorenal anastomosis.

Results. Following endoscopic procedures aimed at preventing the onset of gastroesophageal bleeding, variceal recurrence and bleeding were observed in 35.9% and 18.6% of cases, respectively. The efficacy of endoscopic ligation in case of bleeding amounted to 91.2%. Multiple endoscopic procedures provided means to treat esophageal and gastric varices in 56.2% of the patients. Rebleeding was observed in 9.3% of the patients, while esophageal and gastric varices persisted in 34.3% of the patients. TIPS was found to significantly reduce portal pressure and the grade of varices, with encephalopathy developing in 41.4% of the patients. In the long-term period, stent dysfunction was diagnosed in 22.5% of cases, while bleeding recurred in 10%. Laparoscopic azygoportal disconnection contributed to the regression of esophageal and gastric varices. In the long-term period, bleeding recurred in 42.3% of cases. Laparoscopic distal splenorenal anastomosis reliably prevented the recurrence of bleeding. No shunt thrombosis or lethal outcomes were observed, while the incidence of encephalopathy amounted to 14.7%.

Conclusion. A sufficient number of minimally invasive methods are currently available in the treatment and prevention of gastroesophageal portal bleeding. A case-specific approach to the choice of measures aimed at treating and preventing gastroesophageal bleeding in patients with cirrhosis is required, taking into account the degree of decompensation of portal hypertension and the severity of liver dysfunction.

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