Effectiveness of Splenectomy after Injection Sclerotherapy for Esophageal Varices

Susumu Shibuya, Niranjan Sharma, Yasuhiro Takase, Yoji Iwasaki, Shunji Mizobuchi¹⁾

Department of Surgery, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tsukuba
Second Department of Surgery, Kochi Medical School¹⁾

A comparative study of the effectiveness of injection sclerotherapy alone (Group A) and a combination of injection sclerotherapy and splenectomy (Group B) for esophageal varices due to hepatic cirrhosis was carried out in 45 patients, of whom 29 were in Group A and 16 in Group B. Recurrence rates and survival rates in both groups and hematopoietic changes in Group B were studied for verification of effectiveness. Recurrence rates after one, three and five years in Groups A and B were l4%, 45%, 65%, and 0%, 14% and 14% respectively (p<0.05). Survival rates in the two groups were not significantly different. However, the hematopoietic study showed improvement in white blood cell and platelet populations in Group B. Thus, injection sclerotherapy combined with splenectomy should be considered for patients with splenomegaly along with esophageal varices due to liver cirrhosis to prevent the recurrence of esophageal varices.

Key words
injection sclerotherapy, splenectomy, esophageal varix, hypersplenism

Reprint requests
Susumu Shibuya Department of Surgery, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tsukuba
1-1-1 Tennoudai, Tsukuba city, 305 JAPAN

Accepted
March 13, 1991

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