Six years' experience of oesophageal transection for oesophageal varices, using a circular stapling gun.

Eighty patients with bleeding oesophageal varices, who were considered to be unfit for shunt surgery, were treated by oesophageal transection and subdiaphragmatic devascularisation. The overall hospital mortality was 14% and, after an average follow-up of nearly three years, 69% are still alive. Late recurrent bleeding occurred in 14 patients but varices were shown to be responsible in only four. Postoperative portal systemic encephalopathy has not been a problem.