RESUMEN
We present the case of a woman with upper gastrointestinal bleeding secondary to gastric varices requiring endoscopic cyanoacrylate glue and coil embolization. The procedure was complicated by regular, wide-complex tachycardia, with further investigation revealing cardiopulmonary migration of the glue and coil. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.).
RESUMEN
Acute variceal bleeding is the major cause of mortality in patients with cirrhosis. The standard medical and endoscopic treatment has reduced the mortality of variceal bleeding from 50% to 10-20%. The refractory variceal bleed is either because of failure to control the bleed or failure of secondary prophylaxis. The patients refractory to standard medical therapy need further interventions. The rescue therapies include balloon tamponade, self-expanding metal stents (SEMS) placement, shunt procedures, including transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS), balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO), and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) guided coiling. In cases where endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL) has failed and the variceal bleeding continues, temporary measures like balloon tamponade can be used to achieve hemostasis and as a bridge to definitive measures. SEMS being in use for refractory bleed is preferred over balloon tamponade due to the reduced complication rate. The shunting procedures are highly effective in reducing portal pressure and represent the gold standard for uncontrolled variceal bleeding. The surgical shunts, as well as nonshunt surgeries such as devascularization have become less popular with the increasing use of minimally invasive techniques like TIPS. TIPS have high success rates in controlling refractory variceal bleeding. The mortality rate is greater in high-risk patients undergoing salvage TIPS, and hence, pre-emptive TIPS should be considered in these patients. BRTO is an interventional radiologic procedure used in the management of bleeding gastric and ectopic varices. The availability of gastrorenal or splenorenal shunts is required for the BRTO procedure, which helps to reach and obliterate the cardiofundal varices through the femoral or jugular vein approach. The EUS guided coiling and glue injection have shown promising results, and further randomized controlled trials are required to establish their efficacy for refractory variceal bleeding.
RESUMEN
Balloon- or plug-assisted retrograde transvenous obliteration of portosystemic shunts is an effective endovascular technique for the treatment of type B bypass hepatic encephalopathy. We describe a patient who underwent balloon- and plug-assisted obliteration for a lienorenal and lienogonadal shunt, respectively. He returned with symptoms of recurrent hepatic encephalopathy two years later due to reformation of new lienorenal and lienogonadal shunts. Repeat obliteration of these new shunts was now performed using balloon and coil assistance. We describe the treatment for multiple portosystemic shunts with combined usage of vascular plug, balloon and coils depending on anatomical and technically factors. Our case also highlights that after shunt obliteration increased portal pressure may form new portosystemic collateral pathways which leads to clinical failure and may require repeat treatment.
RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Large portosystemic shunts (PSSs) may lead to recurrent encephalopathy in patients with cirrhosis and embolization of these shunts may improve encephalopathy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Five patients underwent balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO) or plug-assisted retrograde transvenous obliteration (PARTO) of a large PSS at our center in last 2 years for recurrent hepatic encephalopathy (HE) at a tertiary care center at north India. Data are shown as number and mean ± SD. None of these patients had Child's C cirrhosis or presence of large ascites/large varices. RESULTS: Five patients (all males), aged 61 ± 7 years, underwent BRTO or PARTO for recurrent HE and presence of lienorenal (n = 4) or mesocaval shunt (n = 1). The etiology of cirrhosis was cryptogenic/non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in 3, and alcohol and hepatitis B in one each. All patients had Child's B cirrhosis; Child's score was 8.6 ± 0.5, model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score was 13.4 ± 2.3. One patient had mild ascites; 3 patients had small esophageal varices before procedure. Sclerosants (combination of air, sodium tetradecyl sulphate, and lipiodol) were used in two patients, endovascular occlusion plugs were used in two patients, and both sclerosants and endovascular occlusion plug were used in one patient. Embolization of minor outflow veins to allow for stable deposition sclerosants in dominant shunt was done using embolization coils and glue in two patients. One patient needed 2 sessions. The pre-procedure ammonia was 127 ± 35 which decreased to 31 ± 17 after the shunt embolization. There was no recurrence of encephalopathy in any of these patients. One patient was lost to follow-up at 6 months; others are doing well at 6 months (n = 2), 10 months (n = 1) and 2 years (n = 1). None of these patients developed further decompensation in the defined follow-up period. CONCLUSION: Good results can be obtained in selected patients after embolization of large PSS for recurrent HE.