Interposition grafting with expanded polytetrafluoroethylene for portal hypertension.

If an interposition graft for the decompression of esophageal varices is necessary, Gore-Tex may be the graft material of choice. It is intert, nonthrombogenic and, possibly, thrombo-resistant. These characteristics of Gore-Tex explain the ease with which a graft thrombectomy was performed in one patient when necessary. Final appraisal of a synthetic venous prosthesis requires many months, if not years, of in vivo evaluation. Nevertheless, when an interposition graft is necessary for the decompression of esophageal varices, it appears that a clinical trial of Gore-Tex is reasonable in view of its characteristics.