Asymptomatic portal vein obstruction after hepatobiliary resection: early detection by Doppler ultrasonography.

We report two different types of portal vein obstruction after liver resection: portal vein thrombosis due to steal phenomenon via a splenorenal shunt, and kinking of the skeletonized left portal vein after right hepatic lobectomy with caudate lobectomy. The two cases of portal vein obstruction were asymptomatic without any suggestive laboratory findings. Only routine Doppler ultrasonography detected portal vein obstruction which was successfully treated by emergency operation.