[Acute massive hemorrhage from the recanalized umbilical vein as a complication of portal hypertension]

Portal hypertension is very often complicated by severe and a life threatening bleeding in GIT in most cases from oesophageal varices. Another complication of PH is dilatation of portosystemic shunts in abdominal wall so-called caput medusae. We describe a case of a man, that was admitted to our surgical department with massive bleeding from recanalisated umbilical vein as complication of portal hypertension. After couple of the recurrence of the haemorrhage and precise diagnosis of the source we have indicated surgical treatment. We cat off the lig. teres hepatis by laparoscopic approach to decrease tension in blood vessels in the abdominal wall. After surgery there were no evidence of rebleeding and the patient was forwarding for monitoring of oesophageal varices in gastroenterological center.