Vascular Plug-Assisted Retrograde Transvenous Obliteration for the Management of Gastric Varices: Comparative Effectiveness between Gelatin Sponge Embolization and Permanent Sclerosant

Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is usually the first-line diagnostic and management tool for bleeding gastric varices (1). When endoscopy fails to control gastric variceal bleeding, a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is recommended to decompress the portal circulation (1, 2). However, TIPS may not be suitable for some patients with poor hepatic reserve, portal vein thrombosis, hepatic encephalopathy, or severe thrombocytopenia (1-3). Balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO) is an endovascular technique that was refined in Japan as a therVascular Plug-Assisted Retrograde Transvenous Obliteration for the Management of Gastric Varices: Comparative Effectiveness between Gelatin Sponge Embolization and Permanent Sclerosant 위정맥류 관리에서 Vascular Plug를 이용한 역행성 경정맥 폐쇄술의 효과: 젤폼을 사용한 색전술과 영구경화제의 효과 비교