Abstract
PORTAL vein diversion has been used for many years to stop or prevent hemorrhage from esophageal varices or, less commonly, to treat intractable ascites. Since both the bleeding and ascites formation are due, at least in part, to blockage of the splanchnic venous return at or near the liver, the objective has been purely hemodynamic: relieve the obstruction, and the resulting portal venous hypertension will also be relieved. Within the last few years, a new dimension has been added to the old operation of portacaval shunt by employing this procedure to favorably alter the course of patients with two inborn errors of metabolism, glycogen storage disease, and type II hyperlipoproteinemia. We will discuss the potential postoperative risks borne by patients submitted to portal diversion for these new indications and the probable mechanisms that explain the benefits of portacaval shunt—these have been clarified by some recent advances in hepatic physiology. Glycogen
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
