Results of Distal Splenorenal Shunt With versus Without Splenopancreatic Disconnection

Authors:
  • JUJoji Utsunomiya
    Joji Utsunomiya
  • YKYoshinao Kotoura
    Yoshinao Kotoura
  • YIYoshio Ishikawa
    Yoshio Ishikawa
  • ANAkihiko Nishioka
    Akihiko Nishioka
  • KTKazumitsu Takagi
    Kazumitsu Takagi
  • MFMasaharu Fukuda
    Masaharu Fukuda
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Abstract
From December 1973 to December 1987, we performed a distal splenorenal shunt (DSRS) in 112 cases of portal hypertension, including 107 with postnecrotic liver cirrhosis and 5 with idiopathic portal hypertension (IPH). They comprised about 50% of our surgical cases with esophageal varices. In 1981, we modified our operative procedure towards a more extended splenopancreatic disconnection (SPD) in order to prevent the “stealing” of the shunt through the pancreatic vein. In one group of 69 patients who underwent DSRS alone, the operative mortality was 2.9%; postoperative encephalopathy was seen in 17.4%, late hepatic failure in 40.6%, and recurrence of varices in 4.3%. In the other group, 43 patients who underwent DSRS with SPD, there were no operative deaths, no encephalopathy (better than DSRS alone at p < 0.05), and late hepatic failure was seen in only 9.3% (better than DSRS alone at p < 0.025), while the recurrence rate of 7% was the only statistical increase. These data show that DSRS + SPD can improve chances of survival.