Ultrasonography-guided percutaneous transhepatic portacaval shunt creation.

Abstract

We successfully created a percutaneous transhepatic portacaval shunt under ultrasonography (US) guidance in a 46-year-old man with refractory ascites. The shunt was created to salvage an attempt to create a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) that failed because of the elevated level of portal vein bifurcation due to alcoholic liver cirrhosis. Under US guidance, we simultaneously punctured the right branch of the portal vein and the inferior vena cava (IVC) using a two-step biliary drainage set. An Amplatz gooseneck snare was introduced transjugularly to retrieve the percutaneously inserted guidewire. The intrahepatic tract between the portal vein and the IVC was dilated using a balloon catheter, and a stent was placed in the tract. The patient showed complete resolution of ascites at discharge. We assume that our method is an alternative method for TIPS creation in patients with inadequate anatomical relations between the portal vein branches and the hepatic veins. This approach is thought to be feasible for patients with occluded or small hepatic veins.

• Authors: Minoru Honda, Toshiyuki Baba, Toshi Hashimoto, Noritaka Seino, Takehiko Gokan
• Journal: Japanese journal of radiology (Jpn J Radiol) Vol. 28 Issue 7 Pg. 542-6 (Aug 2010) ISSN: 1867-108X [Electronic] Japan
• PMID: 20799021 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Topics

• Ascites (diagnostic imaging, etiology, therapy)
• Humans
• Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic (complications)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Portacaval Shunt, Surgical (methods)
• Salvage Therapy
• Tomography, X-Ray Computed
• Ultrasonography, Interventional