Purpose: To compare transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) placement with or without variceal embolization with endoscopic band ligation (EBL) plus propranolol in preventing recurrent esophageal variceal bleeding in patients with advanced cirrhosis and portal vein thrombosis.
Materials and methods: The present randomized controlled trial was approved by the ethics committee board of West China Hospital. Written informed consent was obtained from each patient. Between January 2010 and December 2012, 73 patients were randomly allocated to receive TIPS (n = 37) or EBL plus propranolol (n = 36). The comparisons of recurrent variceal bleeding, hepatic encephalopathy, and survival rates were based on the Kaplan-Meier method and were compared using the log-rank test.
Results: The mean follow-up time was 22.8 months ± 7.7(standard deviation) in the TIPS group and 20.9 months ± 8.9 in the EBL group. The 2-year probability of remaining free of recurrent variceal bleeding was higher in the TIPS group (77.8%) than in the EBL group (42.9%) (P = .002). Overall recanalization was achieved in 24 (64.9%) patients from the TIPS group and seven (19.4%) patients from the EBL group. The hepatic encephalopathy rates exhibited no significant differences between the two groups (P = .53). The 1- and 2-year probability of survival was 86.5% and 72.9%, respectively, in the TIPS group and 83.3% and 57.2%, respectively, in the EBL group, with no significant difference (P = .23).
Conclusion: TIPS was more effective than EBL plus propranolol in preventing recurrent esophageal variceal bleeding in patients with advanced cirrhosis and portal vein thrombosis and did not increase the incidence of hepatic encephalopathy. Survival was similar in both groups.