Rex shunt: a new treatment for non-cirrhotic portal hypertension / 中华肝胆外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective The Rex shunt has been used to treat children with extrahepatic portal hypertension by creating a venous bypass between the superior mesenteric vein and the left portal vein to circumvent the extrahepatic portal venous obstruction.This retrospective study aimed to analyse our results in the use of this novel approach.Methods 52 patients with cavernous transformation and obstructed main portal veins were treated by Rex shunts.Results The age of children was 1.4 ～ 12 year,the mean age was 3.7 years.The patients were followed up from 1.5 to 5 years.In 48 patients,there was no recurrence of gastrointestinal bleeding after surgery making an efficacy rate of 92.3％.In the recurrence group,the postoperative venous pressure in the superior mesenteric vein was (27.6 ± 3.2) cmH2O (1 cmH2O =0.098kPa) which was significantly higher than the non-recurrence group (23.5 ± 3.1)cmH2O.The difference between the pre-and post-Rex shunting was significantly lower in the recurrence group (5.7 ± 1.8)cmH2O than the non-recurrence group (11.7 ± 3.3) cmH2 O,P ＜ 0.05.Thus,a low reduction in postoperative pressure was an early manifestation of poor prognosis.Conclusions The Rex shunt was safe and efficacious.The degree of reduction in postoperative venous pressure in the superior mesenteric vein could be used to predict recurrence of gastrointestinal bleeding.