The authors present their experience with the outcome of gastrofibroscopic
sclerotherapy of oesophageal
varices, performed in a total of 70 patients with
portal hypertension. All patients were classified in classes B and C according to Child's criteria, and 68 of them had variceal
bleeding before receiving
sclerotherapy. Acute
bleeding was successfully arrested in seven cases, and elective
sclerotherapy in between
bleeding episodes was carried out in 60 cases. To date, complete obliteration has been noted in 34 patients. An effect of previous
sclerotherapy was observed during the next therapeutic session in 18, and eight patients died from progressive
hepatic insufficiency. In the discussion section, the authors analyse current concepts on the technique of
sclerotherapy related to complications, on instrumentarium and
sclerosing solutions, and on the significance of prophylactic, acute and elective
sclerotherapy, with the importance of endoscopic
sclerotherapy of oesophageal
varices perceived mainly in comparison with the results of surgery from the point of view of long-term patient survival.