BRTO assisted endoscopic Histoacryl injection in treating gastric varices with gastrorenal shunt

Balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration and simultaneous endoscopic cyanoacrylate injection for treating gastric varices draining through gastrorenal shunts

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS

Balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration-assisted endoscopic cyanoacrylate injection (E-BRTO) temporarily treats gastric fundic varices draining through gastrorenal shunts (GRS) occluding the GRS with a balloon, then endoscopically injecting cyanoacrylate. We retrospectively examined the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of E-BRTO.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We enrolled 85 patients with hepatic cirrhosis plus gastric fundic varices with GRS; 34 underwent E-BRTO. The 51 patients who refused all secondary prophylactic treatments served as controls.

RESULTS

Finally, 33 of the 34 patients underwent successful E-BRTO without major adverse events. Gastric varices were eradicated from all 33 patients in the E-BRTO group; the average follow-up time was 161.0 (74.0) weeks (mean [SD]). Four end-point events (12%) were recorded during the follow-up period. In the control group, 33 patients (65%) suffered repeat variceal bleeding, resulting in seven deaths. The cumulative rebleeding rates of the E-BRTO group on the 6th, 24th, 48th, 96th, 144th, 192nd, 240th, and 288th week were 0%, 3%, 9%, 9%, 13%, 13%, 13%, and 13%, while the cumulative rebleeding rates of the control group in the same period were 10%, 20%, 35%, 46%, 55%, 65%, 76%, and 76%.

CONCLUSIONS

E-BRTO was safe, feasible, and well tolerated by patients with hepatic cirrhosis plus gastric fundic varices with GRS. Over the long-term follow-up period, the E-BRTO group demonstrated a lower rate of repeat bleeding than the control group.

Clinical outcomes of clip-assisted endoscopic cyanoacrylate injection versus conventional endoscopic cyanoacrylate injection in treating gastric varices with a gastrorenal shunt

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS

The optimal treatment for gastric varices (GVs) is a topic that remains definite for this study. This study compared the clinical outcomes of clip-assisted endoscopic cyanoacrylate injection (clip-ECI) to conventional endoscopic cyanoacrylate injection (con-ECI) for the treatment of GVs with a gastrorenal shunt.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Data were collected retrospectively in five medical centers from 2015 to 2020. The patients were treated with con-ECI (n = 126) or clip-ECI (n = 148). Clinical characteristics and procedural outcomes were compared. Patients were followed until death, liver transplantation or 6 months after the treatment. The primary outcome was rebleeding, and the secondary outcome was survival.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences in age, sex, etiology, shunt diameter and Child-Pugh classification between the two groups. Fewer GVs obliteration sessions were required in the clip-ECI group than in the con-ECI group (p = 0.015). The cumulative 6-month rebleeding-free rates were 88.6% in the clip-ECI group and 73.7% in the con-ECI group (p = 0.002). The cumulative 6-month survival rates were 97.1% in the clip-ECI group and 94.8% in the con-ECI group (p = 0.378).

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with con-ECI, clip-ECI appears more effective for the treatment of GVs with a gastrorenal shunt, which required less sessions and achieved a higher 6-month rebleeding-free rate.

Efficacy and safety of combined endoscopic cyanoacrylate injection and balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous occlusion (BRTOcc) of gastrorenal shunts in patients with bleeding gastric fundal varices

Background

Endoscopic cyanoacrylate (glue) injection of fundal varices may result in life-threatening embolic adverse events through spontaneous gastrorenal shunts (GRSs). Balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous occlusion (BRTOcc) of GRSs during cyanoacrylate injection may prevent serious systemic glue embolization through the shunt. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a combined endoscopic–interventional radiologic (BRTOcc) approach for the treatment of bleeding fundal varices.

Methods

We retrospectively analysed the data of patients who underwent the combined procedure for acutely bleeding fundal varices between January 2010 and April 2018. Data were extracted for patient demographics, clinical and endoscopic findings, technical details, and adverse events of the endoscopic–BRTOcc approach and patient outcomes.

Results

We identified 30 patients (13 [43.3%] women; median age 58 [range, 25–92] years) with gastroesophageal varices type 2 (53.3%, 16/30) and isolated gastric varices type 1 (46.7%, 14/30) per Sarin classification, and median clinical and endoscopic follow-up of 151 (range, 4–2,513) days and 98 (range, 3–2,373) days, respectively. The median volume of octyl-cyanoacrylate: Lipiodol injected was 7 (range, 4–22) mL. Procedure-related adverse events occurred in three (10.0%) patients, including transient fever, non-life-threatening pulmonary glue embolism, and an injection-site ulcer bleed. Complete gastric variceal obturation was achieved in 18 of 21 patients (85.7%) at endoscopic follow-up. Delayed variceal rebleeding was confirmed in one patient (3.3%) and suspected in two patients (6.7%). Although no procedure-related deaths occurred, the overall mortality rate was 46.7%, primarily from liver-disease progression and co-morbidities.

Conclusion

The combined endoscopic–BRTOcc procedure is a relatively safe and effective technique for bleeding fundal varices, with a high rate of variceal obturation and a low rate of serious adverse events.

Synchronous hybrid procedure combining interventional radiology and endoscopy for esophagogastric varices with large gastro-renal shunt

Successful treatment of esophagogastric varices (EGV) with giant portal-systemic shunt is challenging. To explore the feasibility and safety of a novel hybrid procedure involving interventional radiology and endoscopy in the same sitting.Three cases clinically diagnosed to have decompensated cirrhosis and EGV with giant gastrorenal shunt (GRS) on contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) were included. The hybrid procedures included: indirect portography, hepatic vein pressure gradient (HVPG) measurement, HVPG-based partial splenic embolization (PSE), retrospective GRS balloon occlusion, endoscopic histoacryl injection (EHI), balloon catheter radiography and withdrawal. All the procedures were done in the same operation room. Main outcomes measurements included operation time, complications, and re-bleeding events.Hybrid interventions were performed successfully in 3 cases with a mean operation time of 63.3 minutes without any major intra- and post-operation complications. No rebleeding occurred at 6-month follow-up.Synchronous hybrid intervention combining radiology and endoscopy is feasible and safe for patients with EGV and giant GRS, preliminary study with limited cases deserves further exploration.

Treatment outcomes of percutaneous transhepatic variceal embolization versus transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt for gastric variceal bleeding

There have been few studies comparing percutaneous transhepatic variceal embolization (PTVE) and transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) for the prevention of recurrent gastric variceal bleeding (GVB).Compare the outcomes of these 2 procedures in patients with GVB.A total of 74 cirrhosis patients with GVB who underwent TIPS and modified PTVE were enrolled. The rebleeding and mortality rates, portal vein pressure (PVP) variation, and rates of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) were compared between the 2 groups.A total of 43 PTVE and 31 TIPS patients were enrolled in this study. The difference of rebleeding rate in the 2 groups was not statistically significant (P = .190). The difference of early rebleeding rates and cumulative rebleeding-free rates were all not statistically significant (P = .256, P = .200). The difference of mortality rates in the 2 groups was not statistically significant (χ = 1.206, P = .272). The rate of HE in TIPS group was statistically higher than that in PTVE group (P < .0001).Both PTVE and TIPS were effective for preventing rebleeding of GVs. There were no significant differences in rebleeding and mortality rates. The incidence of HE after TIPS was higher than PTVE.