Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt

The transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is an interventional treatment resulting in decompression of the portal system by creation of a side-to-side portosystemic anastomosis. Since its introduction 16 years ago, more than 1,000 publications have appeared demonstrating broad acceptance and increasing clinical use. This review summarizes our present knowledge about technical aspects and complications, follow-up of patients and indications. A technical success rate near 100% and a low occurrence of complications clearly depend on the skills of the operator. The follow-up of the TIPS patient has to assess shunt patency, liver function, hepatic encephalopathy and the possible development of hepatocellular carcinoma. Shunt patency can best be monitored by duplex sonography and can avoid routine radiological revision. Short-term patency may be improved by anticoagulation, while such a treatment does not influence long-term patency. Stent grafts covered with expanded polytetrafluoroethylene show promising long-term patency comparable with that of surgical shunts. With respect to the indications of TIPS, much is known about treatment of variceal bleeding and refractory ascites. The thirteen randomized studies that are available to date show that survival is comparable in patients receiving TIPS or endoscopic treatment for acute or recurrent variceal bleeding. Another group comprises patients with refractory ascites and related complications, such as hepatorenal syndrome and hepatic hydrothorax. It has been demonstrated that TIPS improves these complications. Five randomized studies comparing TIPS with paracentesis and one study comparing TIPS with the peritoneo-venous shunt showed good response of ascites but controversial results on survival. In addition, TIPS has been successfully applied to patients with Budd-Chiari syndrome, portal vein thrombosis, before liver transplantation, and for the treatment of ectopic variceal bleeding.     

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt

The Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (TIPS) has now become an accepted part of the therapeutic armory available to the practicing clinician. It may stop variceal bleeding when traditional endoscopic techniques have failed, and can be used as secondary prevention of variceal bleeding, as well as a treatment for intractable ascites and the Budd-Chiari syndrome. It has afforded new insights into the mechanisms of these disorders and significantly advanced our knowledge of disease pathophysiology. It has done all these things, and yet is a procedure that may be performed without interrupting the surgical field, should the patient require a transplant at a later date. In this article, the various indications for TIPS are reviewed with a critical eye. Advances in placement technique, refinement of indications, and results are all discussed. The authors present an up-to-date assessment of the clinical trials performed using this radiologic shunt, as well as their conclusions regarding the various clinical indications.     

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt in the management of ascites and hepatorenal syndrome

Ascites is the most common complication of liver cirrhosis and when it develops mortality is 50% at 5 years, apart from liver transplantation. Large volume paracentesis has been the only option for ascites refractory to medical treatment. The role of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt in the management of diuretic-resistant ascites has been evaluated in many cohort studies and five randomized trials up to now, clearly showing improvement in natriuresis and clinical efficacy. It, however, remains unclear how transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt affects survival and quality of life, because hospital admissions owing to worsening encephalopathy may counterbalance the reduced need of paracentesis. What is clear is that the patient selection is critical. About 30% of patients with ascites develop hepatorenal syndrome at 5 years, leading to high mortality in its severe and progressive form. As its main pathogenetic factor is derangement of circulatory function owing to portal hypertension, these patients may benefit from transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt, but this has been shown only in small series, in which mortality remains very high, owing to the underlying poor liver function.     

TIPS术后支架功能障碍的研究现状

经颈静脉肝内门体分流术(transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt,TIPS)目前已经成为治疗门脉高压并发症的有效方法,特别是门静脉高压导致的急性食管胃底静脉曲张破裂出血的患者,TIPS应作为一线治疗方案.而维持手术疗效的关键是保持支架通畅.支架内血栓形成是TIPS功能障碍主要原因之一.目前国内外相关的抗凝指南中均未提到TIPS术后抗凝治疗,也没有达成共识.本文就TIPS支架功能障碍作一综述.     

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt for the management of acute variceal hemorrhage

Acute variceal hemorrhage,a life-threatening condition that requires a multidisciplinary approach for effective therapy,is defined as visible bleeding from an esophageal or gastric varix at the time of endoscopy,the presence of large esophageal varices with recent stigmata of bleeding,or fresh blood visible in the stomach with no other source of bleeding identified.Transfusion of blood products,pharmacological treatments and early endoscopic therapy are often effective;however,if primary hemostasis cannot be obtained or if uncontrollable early rebleeding occurs,transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS)is recommended as rescue treatment.The TIPS represents a major advance in the treatment of complications of portal hypertension.Acute variceal hemorrhage that is poorly controlled with endoscopic therapy is generally well controlled with TIPS,which has a 90%to 100%success rate.However,TIPS is associated with a mortality of 30%to 50%in such a setting.Emergency TIPS should be considered early in patients with refractory variceal bleeding once medical treatment and endoscopic sclerotherapy failure,before the clinical condition worsens.Furthermore,admission to specialized centers is mandatory in such a setting and regional protocols are essential to be organized effectively.This review article discusses initial management and then focuses on the specific role of TIPS as a primary therapy to control acute variceal hemorrhage,particularly as a rescue therapy following failure of endoscopic approaches.     

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt in the management of complications of portal hypertension

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is a commonly used approach for managing many complications of portal hypertension. It is an attractive option due to its relative ease of creation (> 90% success rate) and the availability at most hospitals of an interventional radiologist capable of performing the procedure. TIPS is the preferred approach to control acutely bleeding esophageal or gastric varices that cannot be controlled with medical management. It is also now preferred to surgical shunts for preventing rebleeding in patients who rebleed despite adequate medical management. TIPS is more effective than large-volume paracentesis in controlling refractory cirrhotic ascites, with possibly a slight survival benefit but also increased encephalopathy. TIPS should be used to control refractory ascites in patients who cannot be managed with large-volume paracentesis. The role of TIPS in the treatment of hepatorenal syndrome is unclear; currently only patients with type 2 hepatorenal syndrome should be considered candidates for TIPS.     

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) for budd-chiari syndrome

Summary The transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is widely used in the treatment of variceal hemorrhage and portal hypertension associated with cirrhosis. Its potential as a therapy for Budd-Chiari syndrome is less well-known. We report a case of a 15-year-old girl with Budd-Chiari syndrome who was successfully treated with a TIPS, leading to resolution of her ascites and improvement in liver function.     

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt: current status

The transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) was developed in the 1980s for treatment of complications of portal hypertension. Once it was shown that the shunt could be placed with relative ease, TIPS was rapidly applied to the treatment of many of the complications of portal hypertension. These complications include actively bleeding gastroesophageal varices, prevention of rebleeding from varices, control of refractory cirrhotic ascites and hepatic hydrothorax, and treatment of hepatorenal failure and hepatopulmonary syndrome. TIPS has also been used as therapy for Budd-Chiari syndrome and veno-occlusive disease. Despite these broad applications, TIPS has been compared with other forms of therapy in only 2 situations: prevention of rebleeding from varices and control of refractory cirrhotic ascites. In the trials, TIPS was shown to provide better control of these 2 complications of portal hypertension than standard forms of therapy. However, there was no improvement in survival and the incidence of encephalopathy was greater for patients receiving a TIPS. Thus, the use of TIPS for the control of ascites and prevention of rebleeding from varices should be limited to a select group of patients. There have been no controlled trials for the other indications listed. Despite the apparent efficacy of TIPS in many of these situations, its use should be limited to salvage therapy pending the publication of controlled trials showing it is a better treatment than other forms of therapy.     

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt in liver transplant recipients

AIM： To evaluate the efficacy of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts （TIPSs） after liver transplantation （LT）. METHODS： Between November 1996 and December 2005, 10 patients with severe recurrent hepatitis C virus infection （n = 4）, ductopenic rejection （n = 5） or portal vein thrombosis （n = 1） were included in this analysis. Eleven TIPSs （one patient underwent two TIPS procedures） were placed for management of therapy-refractory ascites （n = 7）, hydrothorax （n = 2） or bleeding from colonic varices （n = 1）. The median time interval between LT and TIPS placement was 15 （4-158） mo. RESULTS： TIPS placement was successful in all patients. The mean portosystemic pressure gradient was reduced from 12.5 to 8.7 mmHg. Complete and partial remission could be achieved in 43% and 29% of patients with ascites. Both patients with hydrothorax did not respond to TIPS. No recurrent bleeding was seen in the patient with colonic varices. Nine of 10 patients died during the study period. Only one of two patients, who underwent retransplantation after the TIPS procedure, survived. The median survival period after TIPS placement was 3.3 （range 0.4-20） too. The majority of patients died from sepsis with multiorgan failure. CONCLUSION： Indications for TIPS and technical performance in LT patients correspond to those in non-transplanted patients. At least partial control of therapy-refractory ascites and variceal bleeding could be achieved in most patients. Nevertheless, survival rates were disappointing, most probably because of the advanced stages of liver disease at the time of TIPS placement and the high risk of sepsis as a consequence of immunosuppression.     

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt for Budd-Chiari syndrome: A comprehensive review

Budd-Chiari syndrome(BCS) is a relatively rare clinical condition with a wide range of symptomatology, caused by the obstruction of the hepatic venous outflow. If left untreated, it has got an high mortality rate. Its management is based on a step-wise approach, depending on the clinical presentation, and includes different treatment from anticoagulation therapy up to Interventional Radiology techniques, such as transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS). TIPS is today considered a safe and highly effective treatment and should be recommended for BCS patients, including those awaiting orthotopic liver transplantation. In this review the pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment options of BCS are presented, with a special focus on published data regarding the techniques and outcomes of TIPS for the treatment of BCS. Moreover, unresolved issues and future research will be discussed.     

Favourable medium term outcome following hepatic vein recanalisation and/or transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt for Budd Chiari syndrome

BACKGROUND: We report our experience with management of patients with Budd Chiari syndrome over the past two decades. In 1996 we described a novel approach involving recanalisation of hepatic veins by combined percutaneous and transvenous approaches. This was incorporated into an algorithm published in 1999 in which our preferred treatment for all cases of Budd Chiari syndrome with short segment occlusion or stenosis of the hepatic veins involves recanalisation of the hepatic veins by transvenous or combined percutaneous-transvenous approaches. In symptomatic Budd Chiari syndrome where recanalisation is not possible, we perform transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts (TIPS) because TIPS decompresses the portal circulation directly in an adjustable way. In this series of patients with Budd Chiari syndrome treated with radiological interventions alone, we assess their medium term outcome using two independent objective prognostic indices. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 61 patients with non-malignant Budd Chiari syndrome treated by radiological intervention alone in our centre. RESULTS: Actuarial survival for the entire cohort at one year and five years was 94% and 87%, respectively. Survival of our patients with mild disease (according to the Murad classification) was 100% at one year and at five years, with intermediate disease severity 94% at one year and 86% at five years, and with severe disease 85% at one year and 77% at five years. CONCLUSION: Management of Budd Chiari syndrome by interventional radiology resulted in excellent medium term survival for patients in all categories of disease severity.     

经颈静脉肝内门体分流术的禁忌证及并发症

门静脉高压症(portal hypertention,PH)是由门静脉压力增高引起的一组症候群,主要临床表现有脾脏肿大、门腔侧支循环形成及腹水.各种原因引起的肝硬化是PH最主要的病因,约占PH病因的90%以上.     

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt in cavernomatous portal vein occlusion

A 72-year-old patient with liver cirrhosis and cavernomatous portal vein occlusion presented with refractory ascites. We treated the patient with transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt: transjugular transhepatic puncture of an intrahepatic hilar collateral vein was performed; transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt was created between the right hepatic vein and the patent superior mesenteric vein using this hilar collateral vein as the connecting pathway. The ascites was resolved and the patient remains asymptomatic, while shunt patency is maintained 16 months after the intervention.     

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt for intractable posthepatectomy ascites

We report two cases of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt for control of intractable ascites after resection of cirrhotic livers. The first case was a 46-year-old male who had undergone right lobectomy of the liver for a small hepatocellular carcinoma. His liver function had recovered within a week after the operation, but ascites drainage of 1-4 L/day persisted for more than a month despite vigorous medical therapy. We performed transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt on the 49th postoperative day and the pressure gradient between the right atrium and the left portal vein was reduced to from 21 mmHg to 6 mmHg. Thereafter, ascites became responsive to diuretic therapy and was well controlled without complication. Second case of a 54-year-old male patient who had undergone left lateral segmentectomy due to a small hepatocellular carcinoma presented intractable ascites of 1-3 L/day, which was also effectively controlled after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt performed on the 34th postoperative day, though there was an episode of hepatic encephalopathy stage 1. Based on our limited experience, hepatectomized patients suffering from prolonged intractable ascites despite a favorable profile of liver function may be candidates for transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt with an acceptable risk of hepatic failure and procedure-related complication.