Long-term survivors after variceal haemorrhage. Follow-up of a controlled study of endoscopic sclerotherapy versus conservative management.

In a prospective controlled trial of conservative therapy (vasopressin/balloon tamponade (control group)) versus endoscopic sclerotherapy (ST) for the acute bleeding and at rebleeding, 107 cirrhotic patients with major variceal haemorrhage were studied from 1979 to 1983. The prospective follow-up study is now presented of the 51 patients surviving for more than 1 year. The present ST group (30 patients) was followed for a median of 5 years (range, 1-7.5 years), and the controls for 4 years (3-5.5 years). Variceal eradication was obtained in 22 ST patients in the 1st year after a median of 6 months and 5 ST sessions, and in 7 ST patients after 21 months and 9 ST sessions. The delay was due to alcoholic abuse. Eleven ST patients and 11 controls (NS) rebled on 30 and 45 occasions during a total follow-up time of 1364 and 696 months and 0.0220 and 0.0647 bleeds per patient-month, respectively (p = 0.098). Eight ST patients experienced 12 variceal bleeds, 11 controls had 39 haemorrhages with variceal aetiology...