Sclerotherapy rather than surgery for less rebleeding in cirrhotic patients with variceal bleeding

ABSTRACT

In the two years period from January 1991 to December 1992, 45 cirrhotic patients [32 males-13 females] with acute variceal bleeding underwent either surgical treatment in the form of non shunting produces [15 patients] or endoscopic injection sclerotherapy [30 patients] at surgical and tropical department of El Minia and El Mansoura University hospitals. We analyzed the clinical records of these patients. The two groups were 1and 2 comparable in regard to clinical condition and liver function, except for the higher rate of child[s] C patients in the sclerotherapy group than in the surgical group. Control of variceal bleeding was attained in 10 of the 15 surgical patients [66.6 percent] and in 26 of 30 [86.6 percent] sclerotherapy patients. Bleeding-recurred in 9 patients of 15 [60 percent] in surgical group and in 6 patients of 30 [20 percent] in the sclerotherapy group. Mortality rate at 30 days and 6 months were 1/15 [6.6 percent], 3/15 [20 percent] in surgical patients and no mortality in the first 30 days and 1/30 [3.3 percent] at 6 months of the sclerotherapy group. Therefore in our patients sclerotherapy led to a fewer rebleeding as compared to other patients who underwent surgical treatment