Transabdominal mucosal transection of the esophagus for the treatment of esophageal varices.

Transabdominal mucosal transection of the esophagus was applied to 20 patients with esophageal varices. The operative procedure involves a longitudinal incision of the muscular layers which follows transection and reanastomosis of the denuded mucosa. With the preservation the muscular structure, postoperative complications such as anastomotic leakage, stenosis or regurgitation, have been minimized. The effect of this procedure on the varices proved satisfactory.