[Portal thrombosis: early complication of azygo-portal disconnection in the treatment of bleeding esophageal varices].

The authors studied 30 patients with bleeding from esophageal varices due to portal hypertension. They underwent the disconnection of portal and azygos veins and splenectomy. The immediate postoperative complications were: portal thrombosis in four patients (13.3%); subphrenic abscess in two (6.6%); pulmonary embolism in one (3.3%) and esophageal perforation in one (3.3%). The manifestations of portal thrombosis were ascites, and fever (without leukocytosis). One patient with portal thrombosis who had intractable ascite was submitted to peritoneovenous shunting.