Interventional therapy for portal venous thrombosis / 中国普通外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To assess the efficacy and safety of interventional techniques for the management of symptomatic portal vein (PV) and superior mesenteric vein (SMV) thrombosis. Methods Six patients with thrombosis of the PV and SMV were treated by transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic (TIPS) approach. Contrast PV SMV venography was carried out to verify the access to the PV branch. Then a 8F large bore catheter was used to aspirate thrombus. A J shaped guide wire and pig tail catheter were used to fragment the thrombus. Local thrombolysis with urokinase (UK) was delivered through a catheter in the SMV. An 4 French multiple side hole catheter was put into the SMV and UK was continuously infused for 3 to 13 days.Results The procedure was successful in all cases. One patient died of intra abdominal sepsis 12 days after. Five patients were followed up by color Doppler ultrasonography for 4～36 months with confirmed patency of the PV and SMV in all these patients. Conclusions This procedure is both safe and effective in the treatment of symptomatic PV and SMV thrombosis.