Portal derivation surgery in children. A long-term follow-up report.

Eight children and two adults with portal hypertension were treated by portal diversion surgery. In all cases recurrent gastro-intestinal bleeding from esophageal varices was the indication for shunt-operation. Still in early childhood, three of these patients had had a splenectomy in other hospitals: one emergency splenectomy for hemoperitoneum and two elective splenectomies for hypersplenism. Three operative techniques were used: 5 spleno-renal shunts, 3 meso-caval shunts and 2 porto-caval shunts. All, but one, were followed over a period from 2 to 13 years after shunt-surgery. There was no mortality in this series. After shunting all children remained free of esophageal bleeding. We did not find any complication directly related to the shunt procedure.