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Ann Thorac Surg 1998;65:1711-1714
© 1998 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
a Second Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan
Accepted for publication March 3, 1998.
Address reprint requests to Dr Kuniyoshi, Second Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, 207 Uehara Nishihara-Cho, Okinawa 903-01, Japan
Background. In the past 17 years, 32 patients with Budd-Chiari syndrome were treated by reconstruction of the occluded inferior vena cava and reopening of the hepatic veins under femoro-femoral normothermic extracorporeal partial bypass. The mean follow-up was 8 years (range, 1.5 to 17 years).
Methods. To evaluate the benefits of our operative procedure, we compared the preoperative, early postoperative, and late postoperative endoscopic appearance of the esophageal varices and the histologic findings of the liver tissue obtained intraoperatively and at a later date.
Results. The esophageal varices found preoperatively in 29 patients (90.6%) had disappeared in 7 patients by the time of discharge, and in 2 patients they disappeared 4 to 7 years after surgery. In the remaining 20 patients, the grade of the esophageal varices was reduced markedly. Histologic examination of the liver showed cirrhosis in 22 patients, fibrosis in 9 patients, and severe congestion in 1 patient. Inspection of the liver in the late postoperative period (in 10 patients) showed improvement in centrilobular congestion and no increase in interlobular fibrosis.
Conclusions. Gradual and steady improvement of esophageal varices and hepatic fibrosis can be achieved after our operative procedure.
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