Prevention of coagulopathy after placement of peritoneovenous shunt with replacement of ascitic fluid by normal saline solution.

Consumptive coagulopathy may complicate the early postoperative course of peritoneovenous shunting and be responsible for diffuse bleeding or even death. Since this complications has been related to procoagulant substances in ascitic fluid getting access to the systemic circulation, it was demonstrated that the replacement of the ascitic fluid by normal saline solution during shunt insertion decreases the prevalence and severity of postoperative coagulopathy.