Researchers aimed to assess the outcomes of patients with acute variceal bleeding (AVB) and hepatic encephalopathy (HE) who underwent pre-emptive transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (pTIPS). They found that HE was more prevalent in high-risk patients with AVB, and among high-risk patients with HE at admission, pTIPS was associated with lower 1-year mortality compared to endoscopic plus drug treatment. The study suggests that pTIPS may improve survival in high-risk patients with cirrhosis and variceal bleeding who have HE at admission.
Reference: Rudler M, Hernández-Gea V, Procopet BD, et al; for International Variceal Bleeding Observational Study Group: a Baveno Cooperation. Hepatic encephalopathy is not a contraindication to pre-emptive TIPS in high-risk patients with cirrhosis with variceal bleeding. Gut. 2023 Apr;72(4):749-758. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2022-326975. Epub 2022 Sep 9. PMID: 36328772.
