SURGICAL MANAGEMENT FOR BLEEDING FROM ESOPHAGUS VARICOSE VEINS

Abstract

Portal hypertension and bleeding from varicose veins of the esophagus and stomach due to portal hypertension are the most dangerous and threatening complications of liver cirrhosis (6,7). The mortality rate from ongoing bleeding is about 4-8% (6,8,11). 20% of patients with acute bleeding die within 6 weeks compared with other complications (6,8,11). Mortality from rebleeding in patients with decompensated stages of liver cirrhosis reaches up to 78% (7). Currently, there are a number of different methods for the treatment of portal hypertension complicated by bleeding from varices of the esophagus and stomach (VES), including both endovascular interventions and endoscopic treatment. Many surgical methods have been developed to reduce pressure in the portal vein and prevent re-bleeding. But these operations have their limitations. Minimally invasive methods for bleeding from VES include endoscopic sclerotherapy, endoscopic ligation, endovascular transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt, endovascular percutaneous transhepatic embolization of gastroesophageal varices and other combined methods. Surgical practice has proven that treatment results and patient survival are much better with delayed and especially with planned surgical interventions. At the same time, in the last decade, preference has been given to indirect portocaval anastomoses, and recently many adherents of the Sugiura operation have appeared (3,10,13). Thanks to the joint efforts of gastroenterologists, radiologists and surgeons in the treatment of bleeding from the esophagus with portal hypertension, gastrointestinal endoscopy and invasive diagnostic and therapeutic radiographic methods have acquired significant importance. Transendoscopic sclerotherapy of VRV has become particularly widespread. Recurrence of hemorrhages is possible in approximately 10% of cases, which is not much higher than the best results of surgical treatment (1,6,11), and complications (mediastenitis, pyothorax, bleeding, stenosis) develop in only 2% of patients (3).