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Background: As an emerging standard of care for portal vein cavernous transformation (PVCT), Meso-Rex bypass (MRB) has been complicated and variated. The study aim was to propose a new classification of PVCT to guide MRB operations., Methods: Demographic data, the extent of extrahepatic PVCT, surgical methods for visceral side revascularization, intraoperative blood loss, operating time, changes in visceral venous pressure before and after MRB, postoperative complications and the condition of bypass vessels after MRB were extracted retrospectively from the medical records of 19 patients., Results: The median age of the patients (13 males and 6 females) was 32.5 years, while two patients were underage. Causes of PVCT can be summarized as follows: thrombophilia such as dysfunction of antithrombin III or proteins C; secondary to abdominal surgeries; secondary to abdominal infection or traumatic intestinal obstruction, and unknown causes. Intraoperatively, the median operation time was 9.5 h (7-13 h), and the intraoperative blood loss was 300 mL (100-1,600 mL). Ten cases used autologous blood vessels while 10 used allogeneic blood vessels. The vascular anastomosis was divided into the following types according to the site and approach: Type (T) 1-PV pedicel type, T2-confluence type, T3-major visceral vascular type; and T4-collateral visceral vascular type. Furthermore, the visceral venous pressure before and after MRB dropped significantly from 36 cmH 2 O (28-44) to 24.5 cmH 2 O (15-31) (P < 0.01). Postoperatively, one patient had delayed wound healing, two developed biochemical pancreatic fistulae, one experienced lymphatic leakage, the former caused by heat damage of the pancreatic tissues, the latter by cutting lymphatic vessels in the mesentery or removing the local lymph nodes during the process of separating the superior mesenteric vein, and one was re-operated on for an intervening intestinal fistulae. Postoperative enhanced CT scans revealed a significant improvement in abdominal varix in the patients with patent bypass, and at the 1-year postoperative follow-up, enhanced CT scans of six patients showed that the long axis of the spleen was reduced by ≥ 2 cm., Conclusions: MRB can effectively reduce visceral venous pressure in patients with PVCT. It is feasible to determine the PVCT type according to the extent of involvement and to choose individualized visceral side revascularization performances., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

Biliary disease in the setting of non-cirrhotic portal vein thrombosis (and similarly in portal vein cavernous transformation) can become a serious problem during the evolution of disease. This is mostly due to portal biliary ductopathy. There are several mechanisms that play a role in the development of portal biliary ductopathy, such as induction of fibrosis in the biliary tract (due to direct action of dilated peribiliary collaterals and/or recurrent cholangitis), loss of biliary motility, chronic cholestasis (due to fibrosis or choledocholithiasis) and increased formation of cholelithiasis (due to various factors). The management of cholelithiasis in cases with portal vein cavernous transformation merits special attention. Because of a heterogeneous clinical presentation and concomitant pathophysiological changes that take place in biliary anatomy, diagnosis and therapy can become very complicated. Due to increased incidence and complications of cholelithiasis, standard treatment modalities like sphincterotomy or balloon sweeping of bile ducts can cause serious problems. Cholangitis, biliary strictures and hemobilia are the most common complications that occur during management of these patients. In this review, we specifically discuss important issues about bile stones related to bile duct obstruction in non-cirrhotic portal vein thrombosis and present evidence in the current literature.

Non-cirrhotic portal hypertension (PHT) accounts for about 20% of all PHT cases, portal vein thrombosis (PVT) resulting in cavernous transformation being the most common cause. All known complications of PHT may be encountered in patients with chronic PVT. However, the effect of this entity on the biliary tree and pancreatic duct has not yet been fully established. Additionally, a dispute remains regarding the nomenclature of common bile duct abnormalities which occur as a result of chronic PVT. Although many clinical reports have focused on biliary abnormalities, only a few have evaluated both the biliary and pancreatic ductal systems. In this review the relevant literature evaluating the effect of PVT on both ductal systems is discussed, and findings are considered with reference to results of a prominent center in Turkey, from which the term "portal ductopathy" has been put forth to replace "portal biliopathy".

Background: Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is technically challenging in the treatment of portal vein cavernous transformation (PVCT), and there is no high-quality evidence regarding whether it is an option for patients with PVCT. We carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the feasibility and safety of TIPS for PVCT. Methods: Systematic search of PubMed, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Wanfang database through December 2021 for appropriate studies reporting efficacy and safety in patients with PVCT undergoing TIPS. The main outcome included the technical success rate, postoperative rebleeding rate, postoperative hepatic encephalopathy rate, stent patency rate, preoperative, and postoperative portal pressure. Results: Ten studies, including 292 patients were included. Our results showed that TIPS was technically successful in 82.97% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 77.14%–88.41%, p = 0.297) with low heterogeneity (I2 = 18.39%, p = 0.279). Postoperative rebleeding occurred in 9.56% (95% CI: 4.55%–16.77%, p = 0.073) with moderate heterogeneity (I2 = 46.45%, p = 0.06). Postoperative hepatic encephalopathy occurred in 18.55% (95% CI: 9.23%–27.05%, p = 0.343) with moderate heterogeneity (I2 = 48.62%, p = 0.049). Stent patency during follow-up was in 78.43% (95% CI: 70.74%–85.20%, p = 0.805) with low heterogeneity (I2 = 0%, p = 0.654). Postoperative portal pressure significantly reduced (WMD = 12.79 mm Hg, 95% CI: 12.09–13.48 mm Hg, p < 0.00001) with high heterogeneity (I2 = 61.4%, p = 0.02). Both Begg test and funnel plot showed that there was no significant publication bias. Conclusions: TIPS is feasible and safe in patients with PVCT and PVCT should not be considered an absolute contraindication to TIPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of the study was to evaluate the usefulness of a novel modified Meso-Rex bypass surgical technique with umbilical vein recanalization and intra-operative stenting to treat portal vein cavernous transformation. Methods: In total, 13 portal vein cavernous transformation patients underwent Meso-Rex bypass surgery, consisting of bypass grafts between the superior mesenteric vein (SMV) and the recess of Rex as well as through the ligamentum teres hepatis without stent implantation (Group A, n = 9) and umbilical vein recanalization with intra-operative stent implantation (Group B, n = 4). Results: In Group A, the bypass diameter was 0–6 mm (median 3 mm) and blood flow velocity 25–115 cm/s (median 72 cm/s) 1 month after Meso-Rex bypass surgery, with open bypass times of 0–67 months (median 6 months); 6 patients in this group developed postoperative Meso-Rex bypass occlusions. A patient in Group A treated with ligamentum teres hepatis recanalization needed a thrombectomy and stent implantation during a second surgery 2 days after the Meso-Rex bypass, because of bypass thrombosis and umbilical vein stenosis. In Group B, the average modified Meso-Rex bypass diameter was 5.5–6.5 mm (median 6 mm), and the bypass vessels remained open in all patients, with blood flow rates of 45–100 cm/s (median 76.5 cm/s) 1 month after the modified Meso-Rex bypass, up to the endpoint (15–33 months, median 24 months). The rate of bypass occlusions in Group A and Group B were 22.2% and 0%, 30.0% and 0%, and 55.6% and 0% at 1 month, 3 months, and 1 year, respectively, after bypass surgery. Conclusions: Our novel modified Meso-Rex bypass approach for portal vein cavernous transformation treatment was effective with excellent long-term bypass patency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]