Purpose: To evaluate the usefulness of information provided by three-dimensional ultrasound (3D US) and to determine whether 3D US decreased the number of passes required to obtain portal vein (PV) access during creation of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts (TIPS).
Materials and methods: Intermittent 3D US volume acquisitions were obtained during creation of TIPS in 20 patients. Useful information provided by 3D US was tabulated. The number of passes required to achieve PV access was recorded and results were compared retrospectively to 25 patients who underwent TIPS without 3D US.
Results: 3D US documented that the operator's opinion of which hepatic vein had been selected was incorrect in nine patients (45%), detected unfavorable PV anatomy that required modification of equipment or technique in seven patients (35%), permitted estimation of the trajectory required to access the targeted PV in all patients (100%), assisted in selecting the optimal point along the hepatic vein for origination of the needle pass in 11 patients (55%), allowed avoidance of a large hepatocellular carcinoma in one patient (5%), and confirmed that access into the main PV was intrahepatic in four patients (20%). The mean number of needle passes decreased from 10.4 in the historic control group to 4.6 in the 3D US group (P = .0001).
Conclusion: 3D US provided imaging information that detected technical errors and altered anatomy, and provided positional and directional information to significantly improve needle pass efficiency.