The incidence of shunt occlusion following portosystemic decompression.

The English literature on portosystemic decompression procedures was reviewed for an 11 year period and is available upon request to the authors. Information on 1,586 end-to-side portacaval shunts, 308 side-to-side portacaval shunts, 550 standard splenorenal shunts, 436 interposition shunts, 319 distal splenorenal shunts and 136 direct mesocaval shunts was obtained. Operative mortality ranged from a low of 6 per cent in patients undergoing a direct mesocaval shunt to a high of 29 per cent among patients undergoing a side-to-side portacaval shunt. The incidence of portosystemic encephalopathy ranged from a low of 2 per cent for direct mesocaval shunts to a high of 36 per cent for side-to-side portacaval shunts. The occlusion rate was 18 per cent for the standard splenorenal shunt, 10 per cent for the distal splenorenal and interposition shunts, 7 per cent for the direct mesocaval and the end-to-side portacaval shunts and 2 per cent for the side-to-side portacaval shunt.