[Surgical treatment of portal hypertension in patients with cystic fibrosis].

Patients with cystic fibrosis involving the liver may develop esophageal varices with the risk of major bleeding. As the pulmonary disease is progressive, treatment of the varices should achieve definite protection from bleeding by portal decompression. In three 17-18 year-olds splenectomy with splenorenal anastomosis was carried out without mortality or relevant morbidity. Two patients had had previous episodes of bleeding. The patients were followed up for 15, 15 and 42 months respectively. The varices disappeared or regressed in size, and no bleeding or side effects of the shunt were observed.