[Modified method of Sugiura-Futagawa for surgical treatment in patients with portal hypertension and esophageal varices].

BACKGROUND: The esophageal transection and devascularization (Sugiura-Futagawa's operation) is the most frequently used ablative procedure in Japan for the treatment of patients with portal hypertension (PH) and esophageal varices (EV). Recently many authors, who are followers of this method, try to find an alternative one, aiming to shorten the skin-to-skin time and achieve better early and late results. AIM: To study the postoperative results of our modification of the original Sugiura-Futagawa's method and to conclude whether it is good and reliable or not. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From Jan. 1988 till Apr. 2001 we operated 25 patients with liver cirrhosis, PH and previous hemorrhage from EV, of whom 12 were male (48%) and 13--female (52%). Age of the patients--26-67 years. The ethiology of cirrhosis was alcoholic in 8 cases (32%) and post viral hepatitis--in 17 cases (68%). All our patients belonged to Child-Pugh's group A. The operative technique of our modification is described--transabdominal esophageal devascularisation, deconnection and reanastomosis. RESULTS: The early postoperative mortality rate after our modification of the Sugiura-Futagawa's method was 12% (in 3 cases). Death cause--fulminant hepatic failure with hepato-renal syndrome (in all three cases). The mortality rate was also 12% but no one of the complications was life threatening or an indication for reoperation. The 5-year survival rate accounted 78%, recurrent esophageal bleeding--7.14% and late hepatal encephalopathy--also 7.14% of the followed patients. DISCUSSION: The surgical treatment is of main importance for better survival in cases of PH and previously bled EV. A comparison between the results of other authors and our results is made. CONCLUSION: The proposed by us transabdominal esophageal devascularisation, deconnection and reanastomosis as a modification of the Sugiura-Futagawa's procedure is easy fro the technical point of view and leads to good results.