Type of Surgery
Information
Last updated: 02/17/2009
Esophageal varices are enlarged or swollen veins on the lining of the esophagus which are prone to bleeding. They are life-threatening and can be fatal in up to 50% of patients. Esophageal varices are a complication of portal hypertension, a condition...
characterized by increased blood pressure in the portal vein resulting from such liver disease, as liver cirrhosis. Increased pressure causes the veins to balloon outward. The vessels may rupture, causing vomiting of blood and bloody stools.
In most hospitals, sclerotherapy for esophageal varices is the treatment of choice to stop esophageal bleeding during acute episodes, and to prevent further incidences of bleeding. Emergency sclerotherapy is often followed by preventive treatments to eradicate distended esophageal veins.
Advertisement
Search
Other Information
Sclerotherapy for esophageal varices (also called endoscopic sclerotherapy) is a treatment for esophageal bleeding that involves the use of an endoscope and the injection of a sclerosing solution into veins.
Sclerotherapy for esophageal varices is performed by a physician in a hospital, with the patient awake but sedated. Hyoscine butylbromide (Buscopan) may be administered to freeze the esophagus, making injection of the sclerosant easier. During the procedure, an endoscope is passed through the patient's mouth to the esophagus to view the inside. The branches of the blood vessels at or just above where the stomach and esophagus come together, the usual site of variceal bleeding, are located. After the bleeding vein is identified, a long, flexible sclerotherapy needle is passed through the endoscope. When the tip of the needle's sheath is in place, the needle is advanced, and the sclerosant is injected into the vein or the surrounding area. The most commonly used sclerosants are ethanolamine and sodium tetradecyl sulfate. The needle is withdrawn. The procedure is repeated as many times as necessary to eradicate all distended veins.
From http://www.answers.com/topic/sclerotherapy-for-esophageal-varices
Other Information
Biliary colic is the presenting symptom in 80% of patients with gallstone disease who seek medical care; however, only 10-20% of all individuals with gallstones experience severe gallstone pain.
From: eMedicine
Find a Qualified Specialist
Looking for a specialist?
Please enter your zip code.