TIPS: indications, Contraindications, and Evaluation.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review summarizes the current and emerging indications, contraindications, and evaluation for TIPS. In the last three decades of use, there have been substantial changes and progress in this field, including the use of controlled-expansion, covered stents, which has broadened the clinical uses of TIPS. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent findings have rapidly expanded the indications for TIPS, including emerging uses in hepatorenal syndrome, hepatopulmonary syndrome and before abdominal surgery. The widespread use of controlled-expansion, covered stents has decreased rates of post-TIPS hepatic encephalopathy, opening TIPS to a larger patient population. Overall, with newer stent technology and more research in this area, the clinical utility and potential of TIPS has rapidly expanded. Going forward, a renewed focus on randomized-control trials and long-term outcomes will be a crucial element to selecting appropriate TIPS recipients and recommending emerging indications for this procedure.

Procedural-Related Bleeding in Hospitalized Patients With Liver Disease (PROC-BLeeD): An International, Prospective, Multicenter Observational Study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Hospitalized patients with cirrhosis frequently undergo multiple procedures. The risk of procedural-related bleeding remains unclear, and management is not standardized. We conducted an international, prospective, multicenter study of hospitalized patients with cirrhosis undergoing nonsurgical procedures to establish the incidence of procedural-related bleeding and to identify bleeding risk factors. METHODS: Hospitalized patients were prospectively enrolled and monitored until surgery, transplantation, death, or 28 days from admission. The study enrolled 1187 patients undergoing 3006 nonsurgical procedures from 20 centers. RESULTS: A total of 93 procedural-related bleeding events were identified. Bleeding was reported in 6.9% of patient admissions and in 3.0% of the procedures. Major bleeding was reported in 2.3% of patient admissions and in 0.9% of the procedures. Patients with bleeding were more likely to have nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (43.9% vs 30%) and higher body mass index (BMI; 31.2 vs 29.5). Patients with bleeding had a higher Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score at admission (24.5 vs 18.5). A multivariable analysis controlling for center variation found that high-risk procedures (odds ratio [OR], 4.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.44-8.84), Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score (OR, 2.37; 95% CI, 1.46-3.86), and higher BMI (OR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.10-1.80) independently predicted bleeding. Preprocedure international normalized ratio, platelet level, and antithrombotic use were not predictive of bleeding. Bleeding prophylaxis was used more routinely in patients with bleeding (19.4% vs 7.4%). Patients with bleeding had a significantly higher 28-day risk of death (hazard ratio, 6.91; 95% CI, 4.22-11.31). CONCLUSIONS: Procedural-related bleeding occurs rarely in hospitalized patients with cirrhosis. Patients with elevated BMI and decompensated liver disease who undergo high-risk procedures may be at risk to bleed. Bleeding is not associated with conventional hemostasis tests, preprocedure prophylaxis, or recent antithrombotic therapy.

North American Practice-Based Recommendations for Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunts in Portal Hypertension.

Complications of portal hypertension, including ascites, gastrointestinal bleeding, hepatic hydrothorax, and hepatic encephalopathy, are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Despite few high-quality randomized controlled trials to guide therapeutic decisions, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) creation has emerged as a crucial therapeutic option to treat complications of portal hypertension. In North America, the decision to perform TIPS involves gastroenterologists, hepatologists, and interventional radiologists, but TIPS creation is performed by interventional radiologists. This is in contrast to other parts of the world where TIPS creation is performed primarily by hepatologists. Thus, the successful use of TIPS in North America is dependent on a multidisciplinary approach and technical expertise, so as to optimize outcomes. Recently, new procedural techniques, TIPS stent technology, and indications for TIPS have emerged. As a result, practices and outcomes vary greatly across institutions and significant knowledge gaps exist. In this consensus statement, the Advancing Liver Therapeutic Approaches group critically reviews the application of TIPS in the management of portal hypertension. Advancing Liver Therapeutic Approaches convened a multidisciplinary group of North American experts from hepatology, interventional radiology, transplant surgery, nephrology, cardiology, pulmonology, and hematology to critically review existing literature and develop practice-based recommendations for the use of TIPS in patients with any cause of portal hypertension in terms of candidate selection, procedural best practices and, post-TIPS management; and to develop areas of consensus for TIPS indications and the prevention of complications. Finally, future research directions are identified related to TIPS for the management of portal hypertension.

Biliary Strictures: Etiologies and Medical Management.

Biliary strictures have several etiologies that can broadly be classified into benign and malignant causes. The clinical presentation is variable with strictures identified incidentally on imaging or during the evaluation of routine laboratory abnormalities. Symptoms and cholangitis lead to imaging that can diagnose biliary strictures. The diagnosis and medical management of biliary strictures will be discussed in this article.

TIPS for Adults Without Cirrhosis With Chronic Mesenteric Venous Thrombosis and EHPVO Refractory to Standard-of-Care Therapy.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Extrahepatic portal vein occlusion (EHPVO) from portal vein thrombosis is a rare condition associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study is to investigate the efficacy of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts (TIPS) for the treatment of chronic EHPVO, cavernomatosis, and mesenteric venous thrombosis in adults without cirrhosis who are refractory to standard-of-care therapy. APPROACH AND RESULTS: Thirty-nine patients with chronic EHPVO received TIPS. Laboratory parameters and follow-up were assessed at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months, and every 6 months thereafter. Two hepatologists adjudicated symptom improvement attributable to mesenteric thrombosis and EHPVO before/after TIPS. Kaplan-Meier was used to assess primary and overall TIPS patency, assessing procedural success. Adverse events, radiation exposure, hospital length-of-stay and patency were recorded. Cavernoma was present in 100%, with TIPS being successful in all cases using splenic, mesenteric, and transhepatic approaches. Symptom improvement was noted in 26 of 30 (87%) at 6-month follow-up. Twelve patients (31%) experienced TIPS thrombosis. There were no significant long-term laboratory adverse events or deaths. At 36 months, freedom from primary TIPS thrombosis was 63%; following secondary interventions, overall patency was increased to 81%. CONCLUSIONS: TIPS in chronic, noncirrhotic EHPVO with cavernomas and mesenteric venous thrombosis is technically feasible and does not adversely affect liver function. Most patients demonstrate subjective and objective benefit from TIPS. Improvement in patency rates are needed with proper timing of adjuvant anticoagulation.

Safety and Efficacy of Segmental Yttrium-90 Radioembolization for Hepatocellular Carcinoma after Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt Creation.

PURPOSE: To evaluate safety and efficacy of segmental yttrium-90 (Y90) radioembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) placement. The hypothesis was liver sparing segmental Y90 for HCC after TIPS would provide high antitumor response with a tolerable safety profile. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This single-arm retrospective study included 39 patients (16 women, 23 men) with ages 49-81 years old who were treated with Y90. Child-Pugh A/B liver dysfunction was present in 72% (28/39) with a median Model for End-stage Liver Disease score of 18 (95% confidence interval, 16.4-19.4). Primary outcomes were clinical and biochemical toxicities and antitumor imaging response by World Health Organization (WHO) and European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) criteria. Secondary outcomes were orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT), time to progression (TTP), and overall survival (OS) estimates by the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: The 30-day mortality was 0%. Grade 3+ clinical adverse events and grade 3+ hyperbilirubinemia occurred in 5% (2/39) and 0% (0/39), respectively. Imaging response was achieved in 58% (22/38, WHO criteria) and 74% (28/38, EASL criteria), respectively. Median TTP was 16.1 months for any cause and 27.5 months for primary index lesions. OLT was completed in 88% (21/24) of listed patients at a median time of 6.1 months (range, 0.9-11.7 months). Median OS was 31.6 months and 62.9 months censored and uncensored to OLT, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Segmental Y90 for HCC appears safe and efficacious in patients after TIPS. Preserved transplant eligibility suggests that Y90 is a useful tool for bridging these patients to liver transplantation.

Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunts: Advances and New Uses in Patients with Chronic Liver Disease.

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts is an established treatment for portal hypertensive complications. Advancements in technology and technique have led to novel indications, including treatment of chronic portal vein thrombosis and use before abdominal surgery to alleviate portal hypertensive complications. Use of TIPS can facilitate the embolization of large portal-systemic shunts to alleviate refractory hepatic encephalopathy owing to excessive portal shunting. Despite these advances, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts is an invasive procedure with risk for complications and should be performed at a center with expertise to ensure a successful patient outcome.

Chronic Diarrhea Secondary to Newly Diagnosed VIPoma.

Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-secreting tumors (VIPoma) are a rare pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor that can cause chronic diarrhea with 1 case per 10 million people per year. Diagnosis is made based on a combination of laboratory evaluation (serum VIP level), imaging findings (functional positron emission tomography-computed tomography [PET-CT]), and histological analysis (chromogranin A stain). We present a case of a male with 6 months of diarrhea and malaise who was found to have significant kidney injury and hypokalemia requiring admission to the medical intensive care unit. Subsequent laboratory evaluation while admitted eventually showed a low stool osmotic gap (-11 mOsm/kg) consistent with secretory diarrhea, in addition to significantly elevated VIP levels at 940 pg/mL (normal <75). Cross-sectional imaging with functional Gallium-68 dotatate PET-CT confirmed metastatic functional neuroendocrine tumor indicative of a VIPoma. Pathology on subsequent metastatic liver lesion aspiration was consistent with a well-differentiated VIPoma, and symptoms dramatically improved following initiation of octreotide therapy.