RESUMO
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the relationship between perioperative free portal pressure (FPP) after devascularization or spleno-renal shunt operation added devascularization and rebleeding or encephalopathy in patients with portal hypertension, and evaluate the relationship between dynamic changes of FPP and surgical approaches.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The clinical data of 170 patients with portal hypertension receiving devascularization or devascularization with spleno-renal shunt operation (combination group) from January 2001 to December 2007 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were divided into three groups: low pressure group [L group, after devascularization FPP <or= 22 mm Hg (1 mm Hg = 0.133 kPa), n = 43], high pressure group (H group, FPP > 22 mm Hg, n = 60) and combination group (C group, n = 47). There was no significant difference in preoperative Child-Pugh score and pre-operation FPP (P > 0.05) among the three groups. Perioperative FPP, morbidity of rebleeding and encephalopathy were compared with each other.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The values of postoperative FPP were (27.1 +/- 1.9) mm Hg, (20.8 +/- 1.8) mm Hg and (21.5 +/- 2.2) mm Hg among the H group, L group and C group respectively. The rebleeding rates were 21.7%, 4.6% and 4.5% among the three groups respectively. All the values in H group were higher than those in L group and C group remarkably. The encephalopathy rate in C group (10.4%) was higher than that in L group (7.0%) or H group (3.3%), but there were no statistical significance (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>FPP after splenectomy and devascularization may be a basis of choice of surgical approaches in portal hypertension. The spleno-renal shunt operation should be performed in the patients when FPP is over 22 mm Hg after devascularization.</p>