Ten years' experience with mesocaval grafts.

A ten years' experience with this particular shunt has demonstrated that the patency rate, incidence of encephalopathy and of rebleeding and perioperative mortality have remained quite favorable when compared with other shunting procedures. Based upon a ten years' experience, we have no reservations in recommending it as the procedure of choice for patients with alcoholic or posthepatitic cirrhosis who are classified as A, B or C, according to Child's criteria.