Type of Surgery
Information
Last updated: 02/17/2009
Different portal vein bypass procedures are available. The surgery is usually performed under general anesthesia. The surgeon makes an abdominal incision and locates the portal vein. In portacaval shunting, blood from the portal vein is diverted into...
the inferior vena cava (one of the main veins leading back to the heart). This is the most common type of bypass. In splenorenal shunting, the splenic vein (a part of the portal vein) is connected to the renal (kidney) vein. A mesocaval shunt connects the superior mesenteric vein (another part of the portal vein) to the inferior vena cava.
Another procedure, called transvenous intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS), has become the favored surgical approach. A TIPS is performed through a small nick in the skin, working through specialized instruments that are passed through the body using an x ray camera for guidance. The TIPS procedure creates a shunt within the liver itself, by linking the portal vein with a vein draining away from the liver together with a device called a stent, which acts as a scaffold to support the connection between these two veins inside the liver.
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Other Information
Portal vein bypass surgery diverts blood from the portal vein into another vein. It is performed when pressure in the portal vein is so high that it causes internal bleeding from blood vessels in the esophagus.
Purpose
The portal vein carries blood from the stomach and abdominal organs to the liver. It is a major vein that splits into many branches. High pressure in the portal vein causes swelling and bleeding from blood vessels in the esophagus. This situation occurs when the liver is damaged from cirrhosis of the liver, a condition usually caused by prolonged, excessive alcohol consumption.
Massive internal bleeding caused by high pressure in the portal vein occurs in about 40% of patients with cirrhosis. It is initially fatal in at least half of these patients. Patients who survive are likely to experience bleeding recurrence. Portal vein bypass, also called portacaval shunting, is performed on these surviving patients to control bleeding.
From http://www.lifesteps.com/gm/Atoz/ency/portal_vein_bypass.jsp
Other Information
How many open-heart surgeries are performed each year? In 2005 in the United States, these procedures were performed: Valve replacements 106,000 Bypass (cardiac revascularization) 469,000 Heart transplants (performed in 2006) 2,192 Total open-heart procedures 699,000.
From: American Heart Association
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