Clinical outcome and predictors of survival after TIPS insertion in patients with liver cirrhosis

AIM： To determine the clinical outcome and predictors of survival after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent shunt （TIPS） implantation in cirrhotic patients. METHODS： Eighty-one patients with liver cirrhosis and consequential portal hypertension had TIPS implanta- tion （bare metal） for either refractory ascites （RA） （n = 27） or variceal bleeding （VB） （n = 54）. Endpoints for the study were： technical success, stent occlusion and stent stenosis, rebleeding, RA and mortality. Clini- cal records of patients were collected and analysed. Baseline characteristics [e.g., age, sex, CHILD score and the model for end-stage liver disease score （MELD score）, underlying disease] were retrieved. The Kaplan- Meier method was employed to calculate survival from the time of TIPS implantation and comparisons were made by log rank test. A multivariate analysis of factors influencing survival was carried out using the Cox pro- portional hazards regression model. Results were ex- pressed as medians and ranges. Comparisons between groups were performed by using the Mann-Whitney U-test and the4,2 test as appropriate. RESULTS： No difference could be seen in terms of age, sex, underlying disease or degree of portal pressure gradient （PPG） reduction between the ascites and the bleeding group. The PPG significantly decreased from 23.4 ± 5.3 mmHg （VB） vs 22.1± 5.5 mmHg （RA） be- fore TIPS to 11.8 ±4.0 vs 11.7 ± 4.2 after TIPS im- plantation （P = 0.001 within each group）. There was a tendency towards more patients with stage CHILD A in the bleeding group compared to the ascites group （24 vs 6, P = 0.052）. The median survival for the ascites group was 29 mo compared to 〉 60 mo for the bleed- ing group （P = 0.009）. The number of radiological con- trols for stent patency was 6.3 for bleeders and 3.8 for ascites patients （P = 0.029）. Kaplan-Meier calculation indicated that stent occlusion at first control （P = 0.027）, ascites prior to TIPS implantation （P = 0.009）, CHILD stage （P = 0.013）, MELD score （P = 0.001） and those patients not having undergone liver transplantation （P = 0.024） were significant predictors of survival. In the Cox regression model, stent occlusion （P = 0.022）, RA （P = 0.043）, CHILD stage （P = 0.015） and MELD score （P = 0.004） turned out to be independent prognostic factors of survival. The anticoagulation management （P = 0.097）, the porto-systemic pressure gradient （P= 0.460） and rebleeding episodes （P = 0.765） had no significant effect on the overall survival. CONCLUSION： RA, stent occlusion, initial CHILD stage and MELD score are independent predictors of survival in patients with TIPS, speaking for a close follow-up in these circumstances.

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent shunt for medically refractory hepatic hydrothorax:A systematic review and cumulative meta-analysis

AIM:To assess the effectiveness of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent shunt(TIPSS) in refractory hepatic hydrothorax(RHH) in a systematic review and cumulative meta-analysis.METHODS:A comprehensive literature search was conducted on MEDLINE,EMBASE,and Pub Med covering the period from January 1970 to August 2014.Two authors independently selected and abstracted data from eligible studies.Data were summarized using a random-effects model.Heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 test.RESULTS:Six studies involving a total of 198 patients were included in the analysis.The mean(SD) age of patients was 56(1.8) years.Most patients(56.9%) had Child-Turcott-Pugh class C disease.The mean duration of follow-up was 10 mo(range,5.7-16 mo).Response to TIPSS was complete in 55.8%(95%CI:44.7%-66.9%),partial in 17.6%(95%CI:10.9%-24.2%),and absent in 21.2%(95%CI:14.2%-28.3%).The mean change in hepatic venous pressure gradient post-TIPSS was 12.7 mm Hg.The incidence of TIPSS-related encephalopathy was 11.7%(95%CI:6.3%-17.2%),and the 45-d mortality was 17.7%(95%CI:11.34%-24.13%).CONCLUSION:TIPSS is associated with a clinically relevant response in RHH.TIPSS should be considered early in these patients,given its poor prognosis.