Outpatient endoscopic injection sclerosis of esophageal varices.

We report our experience with outpatient endoscopic injection sclerosis (EIS). Fourteen patients receiving elective in patient EIS (30 patient sessions) were compared to 34 patients having elective outpatient EIS (133 patient sessions). The majority of the patients had Child's C alcoholic liver disease. There were two major complications in the 14 inpatients receiving elective EIS, one severe hemorrhage and one death, for a complication rate of 14%. There were no minor complications in this group. In the 34 patients undergoing outpatient EIS there was one major complication for a complication rate of 2.9% (bleeding) and no deaths. Minor complications in the outpatient group included chest pain in 9.0%, dysphagia without stricture in 6.0%, severe ulceration precluding EIS in 21.0%, and stricture of esophagus in 24.0%. The average cost for inpatient EIS was +1183.00 and for outpatient EIS, +339.00.