Prognosis after portocaval anastomosis: a 15-year follow-up.

A 15-year follow-up of 57 patients who underwent portocaval anastomosis is reported. Twenty-seven patients were still alive and the progress of these and of those who died is followed. The young cryptogenic cirrhotic with no encephalopathy, normal liver function tests and absence of portal vein mural thrombus at the time of operation is best benefited. The only factor from the series to suggest a poor prognosis is deterioration in liver function in the post-jaundice cirrhotic, and the development of encephalopathy in cryptogenic cirrhotics suggests a poor long term prognosis, but its onset is not related to the time before death.