[Therapeutic efficacy of balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration in patients with gastric variceal bleeding].

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Although balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO) has been used as a new procedure for gastric variceal bleeding due to its feasibility and minimal invasiveness, reports regarding the results of BRTO are not well presented in Korea. Therefore, we analyzed the results of our experience in recent 39 months.

METHODS

Twenty eight patients who received BRTO for primary hemostasis or secondary prevention of gastric variceal bleeding from December 2001 to March 2005 were analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTS

Twenty three men and five women were involved, and the mean age was 53.7+/-9.6 years. Technical and clinical success rates were 89.3% and 85.7%, respectively. Follow-up duration was 17.5+/-12.5 months in 23 patients. Gastric varices disappeared in 78.3% and decreased in 21.7%. Relapses occurred in 4.3% of the patients. Preexisting hepatic encephalopathy improved in all 11 patients. Aggravation of ascites, esophageal varices, portal hypertensive gastropathy were observed in 45.8%, 30.4%, 56.5%, respectively. Increased Child-Pugh score (p < 0.001) and decreased albumin concentration (p = 0.002) were observed 3 days after BRTO, but resolved 7 days later. Increased albumin concentration and decreased Child-Pugh score maintained thereafter. Rebleeding occurred in 3 patients which were caused by esophageal varices. Two-year survival rate was 54.6%. Presence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (p = 0.001) and Child-Pugh grade (p = 0.033) affected the survival, but HCC was the only independent risk factor (p = 0.010, OR = 15.837) in multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

BRTO is an effective therapeutic procedure for primary hemostasis, secondary prevention, and for improving survival in gastric variceal bleeding patients.