Catheter-retaining balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration for gastric varices.

Purpose: We evaluated the effectiveness of catheter‑retaining balloon‑occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO. Patients and Methods: Patients were divided into 2 groups based on concurrent contrast imaging findings. The primary endpoint was effectiveness the secondary endpoint was complications and the tertiary endpoint was recurrence of esophageal varices in all cases. Results: The mean volume of EO administered was 16.43�4.37 overall and was significantly lower in group 1 (40.61�14.95 mL; 15 patients 32.6% than in group 2 (31 patients 67.4%. The number of injections was 1.60�0.63 in group 1 and 2.97�0.60 in group 2 and the volume of EO used in 1 day did not differ significantly between group 1 (12.28�6.48 mL and group 2 (13.54�3.12 mL. The disappearance rate of varices was significantly greater in group 1 (100% than in group 2 (90.3%. Fever developed in 33.3% of patients in group 1 and 87.1% of patients in group 2. The rates of recurrence of esophageal varices 2 4 and 9 years after the procedure were 34% 48% and 57% respectively. Conclusion: These results show that catheter‑retaining BRTO is a simple and highly effective procedure for difficult cases with minor complications. Furthermore catheter‑ retaining BRTO does not require a large daily dose of EO and is therefore an effective treatment for solitary gastric varices. (J Nippon Med Sch 2014; 81: 298―304