Hemostatic suture of the stomach for the treatment of massive hemorrhage due to esophageal varices.

Hemorrhage from esophagogastric varices has been treated in 15 patients by an interruption of the portal-azygous venous circulation. The venous pedicles of the stomach were ligated, and a hemostatic suture was placed around the circumference of the stomach at the level of its upper and middle thirds. The procedure was effective in controlling massive acute hemorrhage caused by portal hypertension. One operative death occurred. During follow-up observations of eight months to five years, only one patient had mild recurrent hemorrhage at the end of the second year. Four patients died late of liver failure. This method of the anatomic interruption between portal and azygous venous circulation was simple, rapidly performed and relatively safe in patients with massive bleeding gastroesophageal varices which had not responded to conservative therapy.