Effectiveness of Splenectomy after Injection Sclerotherapy for Esophageal Varices

• Published in: Nippon Shokaki Geka Gakkai zasshi Vol. 24; no. 6; pp. 1337 - 1340
• Main Authors: Shibuya, Susumu, Sharma, Niranjan, Takase, Yasuhiro, Iwasaki, Yoji, Mizobuchi, Shunji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: The Japanese Society of Gastroenterological Surgery 1991
• Subjects: esophageal varix; hypersplenism; injection sclerotherapy; splenecinmy
• ISSN: 0386-9768; 1348-9372
• DOI: 10.5833/jjgs.24.1337

A comparative study of the effectiveness of injection sclerotherapy alone (Group A) and a combination of injection sclerotherapy and splenectomy (Group B) for esophageal varices due to hepatic cirrhosis was carried out in 45 patients, of whom 29 were in Group A and 16 in Group B. Recurrence rates and survival rates in both groups and hematopoietic changes in Group B were studied for verification of effectiveness. Recurrence rates after one, three and five years in Groups A and B were 14%, 45%, 65%, and 0%, 14% and 14% respectively (p<0.05). Survival rates in the two groups were not significantly different. However, the hematopoietic study showed improvement in white blood cell and platelet populations in Group B. Thus, injection sclerotherapy combined with splenectomy should be considered for patients with splenomegaly along with esophageal varices due to liver cirrhosis to prevent the recurrence of esophageal varices.